Expressions of Interest for Race Director and Incident Management Training
Since the ORCV’s establishment as the Organising Authority for Victoria’s offshore racing, the Club has maintained an enviable record for the safe and efficient conduct of our offshore racing program.
This record rests on three pillars:-
- Setting appropriate safety standards and the compliance regime.
- Training programs for competitors - including our well-known Safety & Survival at Sea, Practical Navigation and Weather courses and
- The less well-known but critical work of our Race Director and Incident Management Teams.
We are now calling for expressions of interest from members who would like to become involved in our incident Management Program or would like to commence training as a Race Director.
The Race Director's Role
The Race Director is responsible for the safe and fair conduct of the race in accordance with the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions.
The Director’s official role commences with a formal “handover” process a day or two before the race (when there is a final check of competitor compliance, handicaps and race set up), through to the publication of results.
Throughout this period the Director has one or more assistants and an experienced team on-call for assistance or advice, but the Director has the final call on the race conduct – whether or not the race should proceed, course changes, safety alerts, communications with competitors and external Authorities (Ports, Police. AMSA etc) and initiation of action by the Incident Management Team if required.
Overall it’s a senior role for an experienced offshore sailor (10 years) requiring effective communication skills, appropriate management ability and technical competencies including strong PC skills and basic website editing. We also need an ongoing commitment.
Becoming a Race Director
Starting with an ORCV course leading to appointment as Assistant Race Directors, Race Director training typically involves a two-year program working in Assistant roles across the range of ORCV races before appointment as RD for some of our simpler events and finally to a senior role as controller of races such as Melbourne to Stanley, Hobart, Vanuatu and Osaka where 24/7 coverage is required.
Race Directors must also complete IMT Training.
Incident Management Team (IMT) Training
The Incident Management Team undertakes the planning and preparation for the management of incidents and will be involved in the provision of support services depending on the nature of the incident and whether or not official Search and Rescue services have been activated.
Incident management plans and team members will vary from race to race but we are looking for people with good communication skills and the ability to work effectively as part of a team
Desirable skills include-
- Ocean sailing experience
- First Aid training
- Sea Safety and Survival training
- Computer and internet skills
- Relevant specialist skills
The training program is extensive and includes, for example -
- Incident management processes with reference to supporting requirements in the ocean sailing environment
- Search and Rescue organisations and their roles
- The availability and use of medical and other support services
- Communications – with police, Next of Kin, families and media
- Understanding stress and trauma.
Members who wish to become involved in our incident management program will need to commit to assist with at least one race each year and to participate in regular refresher courses.
Next Step – how and when
If either the Race Director or IMT roles appeal and “look right” for you, please email Vanessa at the Office (
The initial Race Director Training Program will be conducted on Sunday 31 July (9.30am to 5.30pm), preceded by online training.
The IMT Training session is currently scheduled to be run on the evenings of 10 August and 17 August (7pm to 9.30pm). The course will involve both online and face-to-face meetings.
ORCV Race Support Team
30 June 2022
