Letter to Santa from the Race Committee

Dear Santa,
The race committee has been very good this year. We have run lots of races and we have tried to do a good job. Sure, some of our lines might not have been completely straight, but the wind shifts (surely a flying-sleigh-pilot like yourself should understand that). We might have blown an errant horn on occasion or raised the wrong flag once in a while. But, we tried really hard, we hope to have avoided the naughty list. We deserve more than a lump of coal!

So Santa, here is what the Race Committee would like for Christmas this year:
• We would like all the racers to read the Sailing Instructions (SIs) before the race (crew too!).
• Can you have them register for the race before the race, preferably at least a day in advance and not when they are on the water, Santa? Especially the dinghy sailors! Can you let them know?
• The right sail numbers on the sails is always nice. You know the ones they register. And if they have to change sails that is OK. Just let us know the numbers change, preferably in writing. We also don’t like white sail numbers; they are really hard to see.
• Read the SIs – did we ask for that already?
• Oh, if a boat quits a race, especially a long distance race, could you have them radio the committee boat. We are listening! I promise we will respond. If we don’t it is because we didn’t hear you. They can call again when they get closer.
• We aren’t supposed to give information to sailors from the committee boat. So have them read the SIs so we don’t have to act like we are being smug.
• We would love to have people volunteer on the committee boat, just one or two days a year. Skipper or crew members are welcome. We have fun. And, they will learn something
• We would love it if all our equipment worked. It seems something is always breaking down.
• Perhaps you can bring the racers a little extra sympathy this year when we do have that inevitable equipment failure.
• And beer, we always like beer.

So Santa, there are probably a few other things we would like, but that will do for now. What we really want is good racing and for everyone to have fun. We promise to try to be good again in 2016.

Merry Christmas to everyone!
All the Race Committees on Puget Sound

P.S. Oh, did we mention having the sailor read the SIs?

Source: 48°North, December 2015