If you haven't attended a race duty before then it's not unusual to be a little bit curious about what the 'Duty' entails. So here's a handy overview...
Why Member Duties?
As a community club, we rely on club member volunteers to assist with the running of the club throughout the year. One key aspect is supporting with Sailing and Race Duty - to enable the smooth running of our Saturday social sailing and our Sunday races. As a member of the club, you'll be allocated 3 to 4 duties during the year. Saturday 12.00-16.00 and/or Sunday 09.00-13.00.
"I really enjoy race duties - they're a great way to meet other members and as a paddle-boarder with little previous experience of sailing, it's been really useful in improving my knowledge about racing and sailing generally." Michelle Carvill
How it works
If you have a family membership it be will just the main contact who is allocated for duties. Social members will not be allocated unless they have chosen to opt in or volunteer for a duty.
How will I know I'm on Duty?
You'll receive an email advising you of your upcoming duty - and via the system you can either accept it, or try to swap it with other members. Reminders will be send to you as your Duty date approaches. And of course, you may receive email requests via the system to see if you want to swap your allocated duty with other members too - we ask you to swap like for like duties - for example, if you're on a rescue boat - swap with someone who is also allocated on a rescue boat. On the Duty Man system you'll see who the team leader is for the Duty - so if there are any problems, you can contact them and they may contact you with specific information too. To ensure that you receive these emails, please mark emails from donotreply@DutyMan.biz as trusted emails.
What will I be doing when on Duty?
You will be given tasks that you are qualified for, so do not worry if you do not have much sailing experience. Each team has someone in charge as well as members that are qualified to drive power boats. On Saturday’s, you will either be crewing on the rescue boat or generally helping other members to rig/launch their boats. On Sunday’s, if you are on ‘race duty’ this means that you will be either crewing on the rescue boats or helping on the committee boat where the race officer will be and they will let you know what needs to be done.
Practicalities:
What to wear - On the day, please take a look at the weather before you set off to the club. It can be chillier/or hotter on the water than you would expect, and there may be a chance that you may get a little wet (although it’s mostly dry work). If you dress as you would for sailing or paddle-boarding, with possibly an extra layer - as you will not be moving as much as what you would do if active on the water.
When you arrive - Let the officer of the day know you're on duty. If you are not sure who to ask for, someone will be able to point you in the right direction. They will then allocate you your duties for the day.
Can I help when I am not rostered on duty?
Absolutely! We are always keen for people to lend a hand. Via the DutyMan system, simply put your name down for what you can help with. During the warmer months we also have Thursday evening sailing 18:30 to 20:00, and Women on the Water on Friday evenings 18.30 to 20.00 - (sometimes earlier) which we rely solely on members volunteering to run the sessions.
How do I access the Duty Man system?
As a member of Maidenhead Sailing Club, we encourage you to create a member account. On the home page of the website in the top right hand corner you'll see a Log in area - and you can either log in (if you have already created an account), or create your account. Once set up, you'll be able to access The Club Hub - and in there you will see a Members Duties tab. And that's it - simple. You're in. There are also useful guides and more information about duties etc too.
What information is stored on the Duty Man system?
We include your email address and it also makes communication easier if we can show your phone number so that the team leader to contact you should the need arise. If you have any problem with this, then please let us know so that we can find another solution.
Questions? If you have any questions about the use of DutyMan or about the club duties, please contact the Duty Rota co-coordinator Andy Pearce - email: DutyRota@maidenheadsc.org.uk
The main takeaway is that it's great to get involved, support your club and the feedback from those doing duties from both those that sail and paddle-boarders is always positive. So if you haven't been contacted for Duty as yet - don't be shy... get in touch with Andy Pearce on the email above - and be sure to get yourself on the Duty Rota. Enjoyment and education guaranteed.