Race Management - Sutton Dinghy Club

Tucker & Sargent

The Safety Fleet

Race Management

A key aspect of the Club is the commitment to supporting dinghy racing locally as well as at regional and national level. To facilitate this commitment the Club has invested in a state of the art fleet of safety boats over the last number of year as well as the provision of a dedicated committee boat that enables us to safely and effectively run Club and Open event in Dublin Bay.

This fleet would be of no value to the Club without access to committed and expert race management personnel. The race management team is led by the Principal Race Officer and is required to provide sailing instructions, notice of race etc. and oversee the safety fleet required for racing. The team must also have extensive knowledge of the ISAF racing rules and may also need to provide protest convenors, judges and on-the water umpires. Other functions provided include recorders, flaggers, timers, rib crews and mark layers. Depending on the size and level of the event the team may range from 2 to 20-plus people.

Sutton Dinghy Club has produced a long list of respected OOD’s and PRO’s who have provided their services the length and breadth of the country. Today the Club is very fortunate to have 2 active National Race Officers in Harry Gallagher and Scorie Walls as well a number of Club and local race officers, some of whom are starting out on the ISA race management ladder.

Harry has been an active member of Sutton Dinghy Club for many years, racing IDRA 14/225 as well as serving on committee and as Sailing Secretary. A highly respected National Race Officer, Harry is Chairman of the ISA Race Management Advisory Board and has been widely credited with the significant improvements in race management skill levels across Ireland and continues to deliver the ISA ‘Race Team Training’ Programme.

Harry Gallagher

Scorie has been a competitive and successful dinghy racer since she joined Sutton Dinghy Club as a junior. Scorie has served on committee but today is a very active National Race Officer and protest convenor when not racing her Puppeteer out of Howth Yacht Club. Scorie has won 3 IDRA14 National Championships as a helm and another 8 as a crew and in 2015 won the Puppeteer National Championships for the first time.

Scorie Walls

Interested in getting involved..

To enable us to organise and run Open events, the Club is keen to have members get involved in race management at any level. In conjunction with the ISA, we can provide access to the right training.