Here come da judge!!

[davidhazlehurst <davidhazlehurst@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

David, reading your mail a second time I realize why there has been so
little response, hence my cc to laser@laser.org. Here are my thoughts on
Judges at Laser regattas;

- for major regattas, and I classify the US Masters as a major, they are a
must. At the risk of resurrecting old passions my conclusion from reading
reams of comments after the '99 NA Laser Masters at Cedar Point was that all
major regattas should have judges,

- consequently for the US Masters at Fishing Bay in October '00, a three day
floater like the event at SSA last weekend, we had two judges, both under 35
and ineligible to race, but both aspiring Masters and well versed in
kinetics. I have no feel for how effective these two were but I heard no
complaints about their presence,

- for other than major regattas I do believe that participants should be
able to police themselves. In the Chesapeake Bay Laser Masters Regatta at
Fishing Bay September 10-11 we had what I can only call a novel experience.
I was told that one of the racers was protested under rule 42. I neither
talked to him nor his adversary but a protest is the only explanation I have
for him doing penalty turns just short of the finish line,

- while I am not an experienced Judge, I served under a US Sailing Senior
Judge at the '95 NA Lightning Championship at Henderson Harbor on Lake
Ontario, and two weeks ago as a judge at the Flying Scot Atlantic Coast
Championship at Fishing Bay, again under the eagle eye of a US Sailing
Senior Judge. Both were great learning experiences, not least in the protest
room. And with freedom to move to where the action is for these two regattas
we paid particular attention to leeward mark roundings.  For Laser regattas
I would bet money that judges concentrate on downwind legs. If they don't
they should,

- one final comment, the only concern I heard about judging in the Flying
Scot event two weeks ago came from a competitor concerned about the absence
of judges at leeward mark roundings. Clearly he was concentrating on the
mark rounding and did not see the judges boat. The Senior Judge and his help
not only watched almost every leeward rounding but their observations were
recorded on tape.

I rest my case, except to say that judging is a great way to see the action,
given that judges go anywhere on the race course they choose. Whether or not
I decide to put in the time needed to qualify as a US Sailing judge remains
to be seen. I was somewhat put off two weeks ago when my guardian told me he
averages 32 days each year judging and/or teaching. That's a big commitment.

I'm sorry I missed seeing you at SSA David, I had planned being there but
was called for family duty.
     



> From: "DAVID HARTMAN" <rolltack@comcast.net>
> Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 20:09:45 -0400
> To: "Masters" <masters@laser.org>
> Subject: Here come da judge!!
> 
> I'm just back from the US Laser Masters in Annapolis.  Won't report on the
> regatta except to say that SSA did a great job organizing and conducting the
> event, even though the wind failed to show!!  The PRO did an amazing job
> sailing 4 races Saturday in almost no wind.
> 
> I would like to get some discussion going on Judges at Masters events.  There
> were 8 judges at various times on the water with us -- about 80 competitors.
> The question is:  Do we really need them, or can we police ourselves?   Local
> regattas are sailed without judges, so why not regional and national?  Several
> of the calls they made were really questionable according to competitors who
> were flagged, as well as competitors in the neighborhood of the poor sap who
> was whistled.  (Full disclosure -- I was flagged for "rocking" downwind).   I
> got a sense from discussions around the keg and while waiting for wind on
> Sunday, that there are many who see little or no value in having judges on the
> course.  There is also belief that judges need to have experience actually
> sailing our little boats, if we're going to have them on the course.  I'm not
> sure what the implications are for event sanctioning by USSA and/or ISAF, but
> it seems that the class should have some say in how it wants an event
> conducted.  No judges would also eliminate one "to do" for regatta
> organizers!
> 
> Maybe when JDE gets back from Brazil, he can put a survey on the Masters
> website to see how members feel about the issue of judges.
> 
> What say ye?
> 
> Sail on
> David Hartman
> 181836
> rolltack@comcast.net
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