Race Committee at the Eastern

The Eastern Yacht Club Race Committee has a well-deserved reputation for running great races. We are proud of our reputation and the folks who make it possible.

In 1994, the Eastern received the coveted St. Petersburg Trophy for work on the Star North Americans, and was named Yacht Club of the Year by Mass Bay Sailing in 2022 and 2011 for our race management work on national and local events. Our recent recognition included the major events we hosted over the past five years including the J/70 Worlds, J/70 Corinthian Nationals, Sears Bemis Smythe US Sailing Championships and the 2022 100th Anniversary Star Worlds. Volunteering for Race Committee is a fantastic way to learn about race management, see top-notch sailing up-close, and contribute to the Club that you love.

Race Committee

Judson A.F. Smith, Chair

Susie Schneider, Executive Race Officer

Email: [email protected]
View All Committee Members Here

Volunteers with the EYC Race Committee can find a number of opportunities to be a part of our sailing community. No experience or prior knowledge is required, just a willingness to spend a great day on the water (or on shore!) helping manage and run races. Events range from small and local to large and prestigious. Our Race Officials offer mentorship and training, along with the chance to make connections at our club and the international Race Officials network.

Here are some handy attributes for being a member of the Race Committee:

Interest and curiosity about learning new skills
Love of being out on the water (despite occasional inclement weather)
Ability to thrive in a high performing team work oriented environment

If you have these traits, here are some more specific job descriptions:

On the signal boat - A vertical thinker? Someone needs to raise and lower flags at specific times; this requires attention to detail, but gives you a front row seat for the starts and finishes.
Love documenting information? Being the scribe means you are keeping track of everything that happens and keep the race officer on task.
Have a need for speed? Often our mark boats need to relocate quickly to set new marks when the wind shifts. Boat handling skills are important, and we can teach you how to use the GPS to navigate.
Got a nose for wind direction? This is also a good skill to have for working on the mark boats, to be prepared to help set new courses.
Love the adrenaline rush? Working on the pin boat means you help call the starting line, signal course changes, and sometimes help with finishes in big fleets.
Want to be part of this fun group but NOT on the water? We always need help with scoring - the part that the competitors really care about! We can show you how it’s done, and you can even do this job at home!

Reach out to [email protected].