Fall 2011.indd - Annapolis Yacht Club

“This committee is really about meeting people and being around
people. It’s a great way to be involved. The committee is like a family.
We like to keep up to date on each other’s lives,”
late April and running through early September, each
committee member gets assigned a job based on what
they prefer to do. Many of the Race Committee members
including those on the Race Committee boats have
race experience – several are professional race officers.
But whether or not the member has a professional
background in racing, or is just good with numbers,
each member is placed where they are most comfortable.
Bobby Frey, the SERC Chair is responsible for placing
and scheduling all members of the committee for every
race.
“I wanted to be on the committee because I wanted
to shoot the cannon,” says George. “After they did away
with that a few years ago, they re-assigned me on the
committee, and now I call over.” You could say now,
George IS the cannon, and has been so for 7 years.
“It can be confusing calling all the boats when they
are so close together – especially during a light downwind
finish with spinnakers luffing over the sail numbers, says
George, “but on those days, we put people at all corners
of the deck to watch the boat numbers as they cross.”
At 6:55 p.m. George stands with the binoculars
looking out towards the mooring field to check the
progress on the Harbor 20s, Hereshoffs, and a few fast
Farr 40s that are headed in towards the finish line.
About 100 spectators are seated on the Second
Deck waiting, enjoying dinner and cocktails, for the
spectacular finish during the perfect summer evening.
The Race Committee sits and enjoys their iced tea
and conversation. “This is the calm before the storm,” one
member comments, as they all speculate whether one of
the Hereshoffs or Harbor 20s will finish first tonight.
Settling into their chairs, grabbing their pencils,
clipboards, and watches to record each boat as they finish,
the committee becomes silent and attentive, taking their
positions as the first boat (a Herreshoff ) crosses the line
around 7:15 p.m. followed by Jim’s first loud air horn of
the evening and “Over,” projected by George through the
megaphone, as he gazes steadily across the finish line.
Nearly 90 boats race each week, some finishing sideby-side,
as the “over” announcements and a dozen more
horns announce the finishing sailboats in the race during
The second deck SERC team double checks recorded times for each boat
finishing that evening after the race.
the evening. The beautiful scenery of the sailboats and
the activity of the committee keep the second deck a
lively place on a Wednesday night.
Soon after the last boat is confirmed over, the
committee members reconcile their recorded times for
the race. Then, they finally leave their chairs to enjoy
the post-race party and continue the conversation they
enjoyed with each other while waiting for the boats to
approach the finish.
This is the first article of a series that will follow the SERC and the events
they lead over the next few seasons – providing a small glimpse of the
member volunteers and behind the scenes of the events.
VOLUME 3, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
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