Issue date
Race officers from all over the country gathered in Wellington on Saturday to discuss, debate, share experiences and learn from each other at the annual Yachting New Zealand race officers conference.
Health and safety was a key focus of the day.
National race officer Kim Admore led the group to share situations and issues that have arisen in the past, and discuss the actions that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of them happening again. Analysing what can be, at times, very scary situations is a crucial step in the process. It was acknowledged that this step often happens in isolation, whereas the people involved should be discussing it openly and honestly to ensure maximum understanding.
This was followed by a presentation by Sergeant Richard Kennedy of the Wellington Police Maritime Unit. He discussed search and rescue procedures and the steps that should be taken by a race officer in the worst-case scenario of a missing sailor, before the police or Maritime New Zealand arrive and are able to take over.
Again, while this is not nice to consider, it is important to have plans and procedures in place so cool heads prevail in the event of this occurring. Everyone took a lot away from this and it was interesting to hear some of the stories and situations Kennedy has encountered in his 10 years in the unit.
The remainder of the day was an open forum, whereby the race officers put forward topics and it was discussed as a group. This included training and recruitment of new race officers and club volunteers, ways to ensure race officers are providing sailors with what they want and at the appropriate level, and the issues arising from the growth of skiffs, multihulls, foiling, and other high- performance dinghies, particularly when sharing courses.
It was a productive and enjoyable day for the 21 race officers who attended and they can take back to their clubs and classes the thoughts, ideas and best practices of other race officers to continue to provide sailors with good quality racing.
Thanks to those who attended, particularly those who travelled to get there. Having people from clubs all over the country allows for greater discussion and wider distribution of knowledge and experience.
A big thanks to Ian Clouston for the work he did putting the day together, and to Evans Bay Yacht and Motor Boat Club for hosting the event.
