The Competition Committee plays an important role, in support of the RC Racing. The members of the CC should be known to the racing membership and be available on either a formal or informal basis to channel communication back and forth. I do not presently know all 12 members of the CC, or in what capacity they have assisted in running the Racing program in recent years. Hopefully they have helped Michel out and made his life easier.
I created the Competition Committee entity some years ago through an Amendment to the By-Laws. Until that happened it was called the Race Committee, with no real way to distinguish it from the race management folks that performed the-on-water duties. It was at a time of change in the racing landscape - from a Rules perspective and a participation perspective, and as it turned out, for the Club. HHSA was isolated and a little stuck in the past. We were using an antiquated starting sequence, there was little discipline and consistency in Race Management, and we had our own set of Racing Rules that in many situations were in conflict with RRS. Kent Kunze and some of his contemporaries created the first Sailing Instructions because until then there was not a separate document for those.
I have a management style and philosophy that I have employed both professionally and recreationally - Surround yourself with good people.
With a select small group I set about transforming the Club's Racing Program. Folks like Ted Slotwinski, Bruce Artman, Rich Griner, Hank Chalkley, and others. We created the Course Book, completely revised the Racing Rules and Race Management Documents, and tightened up the Sailing Instructions. Ted created the Race Management Seminar and between us we refined it and delivered it at the beginning of each season. The result was a huge improvement in running the on-the-water activities. Of course, we also purchased the HHSA Marks. I organized HHSA's first Frostbite Races and drew up the courses that we use today. Emily and I organized the first Womens Regatta.
I bring these points up because I am passionate about sailing in general, but especially fond of HHSA and what it offers to the sailing community in this part of the Bay. The energy and creativity of some of our newer members has resulted in another evolution for the Club - embracing social media to expand our reach and footprint, coming up with new ideas to keep us interested and interesting. We are in the spotlight outside Herring Bay and it is all good.
Back to the question from Michel. I believe that for some years now we have been in maintenance mode as it related to managing the Club's Racing Program. What we are doing is working well. But we need to have an open mind and be ready to respond to new ideas (such as including catamarans). Bringing those ideas to the table and turning them something actionable is an important responsibility of the CC, assisting the RC Racing to make the right moves.
At the heart of our racing program is the Race Management - the on-the-water activities such as setting up the starting line, picking the courses, getting multiple classes started safely and on time, setting up the finish line, recording finish times, and sending them to the Scorer. The Race Committee needs to set a fair playing field (square lines etc.) be reliable and predictable, and communicate their intentions clearly. Racers should not have guess what the RC is doing. The RC Racing and the Competition Committee should lead by example and be prepared to offer advice and feedback when things don't go well. Little things become important - using the correct flags, hanging the course boards on the correct side of the committee boat, communicating effectively with the racers. These are areas of focus for me. When we get it right everyone benefits. When we get it wrong someone ends up being unhappy and perhaps unfairly treated ... let's try to minimize those!
Thanks,
Keith
From: "Racing Discussions" <racing_discussions@hhsa.org>
To: keithmayes@rcn.com
Sent: Thursday, November 4, 2021 8:45:21 PM
Subject: re: R/C Racing Candidate Discussions
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Posted by: Michel Jichlinski on 11/4/2021 at 7:44 PM
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My question for both candidates:
How do they see the role of the Competition Committee?
Thanks
Michel
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