An Often Overlooked Activity for Members
T
he Fort Walton Yacht Club offers an array of activi-
ties for members. The dining room and lounge are
places to come and enjoy friends and family members in
a beautiful, relaxed setting. Consuming cocktails, eating
meals and attending parties are just two of the many ac-
tivities offered to our membership, along with boating,
cruising, racing, floating, etc., our club is beaming with
fun for all ages. However, there is an activity which is
most often overlooked. This activity is called Race Com-
mittee. Many members participate in Race Committee
as part of their FUN at FWYC. This was very apparent
at the recent Meigs Regatta, which is our annual GYA
Capdevielle Regatta held each July. Over 30 FWYC
members volunteered their time, energy, boats, radios,
gear, tow ropes, etc. for this event. This number does not
include the many FWYC participants that sailed in the
regatta. Race Committee offers a wonderful opportunity
to meet and work with other club members.
So, what do the members of the Race Committee do and
why does Race Committee need so many volunteers?
The Fort Walton Yacht Club is known all over the South-
east as one of the premier yacht racing venues. Members
are needed for the Race Committee to inflate and set up
marks for the races, to read wind directions and velocity,
to measure length of legs of the course, to start and finish
races, and to compile the results of each race. There is a
Signal Boat with a Principal Race Officer who makes all
decisions. Also, on the Signal Boat are scorers, a time
keeper, flag raisers and a signal person. Of course, there
is a boat driver as well. There is a mark set boat, and a pin
set boat with at least two people on each. These boats
make sure the course is set as close as possible to perfect.
There are safety boats, photo boats and a judge boat. And
that’s just on the water! On land there are lots of duties
for Race Committee as well. Registration for the regatta
takes several patient members to answer questions, accept
money, do charges, and especially welcome the guests to
our club. There are trophies to be set up. There are Ship’s
Store items to be sold. There are several people needed in
dry storage as well as on the docks to show sailors where
to park. There is a person who manages the queue for
the hoist and makes sure the hoist is operated properly.
When each day of the regatta is over, volunteers gather in
the Lounge or on the Patio for rest, relaxation and a good
feeling for a job well done for FWYC.
The largest