How many duties and what time?

So what do we mean by 'full duty committment'? All we ask is that you carry out your three or four duties per year: the number varies yearly. These will be one Saturday and the rest as Sundays. Members of our main fleets (Laser, Solo and RS400) also get a fleet duty for another class's open, carried out in return for their own open. Finally, Wednesday series sailors must also be on duty for one race of the series (usually 17 weeks) - this only applies to those sailing the series as not everyone can be there.

Saturday duties are 1pm to 5pm, Sundays are 9am to 5pm, possibly a little earlier if everyone is off the water earlier, we operate 'last launch' at 3:30 pm.

In addition EVERYONE is asked to attend the twice-yearly working parties when we blitz the club, clear the rubbish, make things, break things, mow things and generally muck in.

 

When is my duty?
Duty dates are assigned in the programme which appears in February each year, so you get plenty of notice. We also try to change things round so no one team gets all the bank holidays. You should get a reminder card just before the duty but don't rely on this; it is very simple to mark your diary when you get the programme.

What if I can't make one of my dates?
All you have to do is arrange a duty swap. Do this via the Dutyman facility on this website, the swap board in the clubhouse or simply finding a suitable date and approaching one of the team for that date. NB just sticking up a notice isn't enough, you need to ARRANGE the swap. You get plenty of notice, so short of dire emergency everyone should be able to carry out the full set. It really causes hassle if you don't turn up, as the rest of your team has to do lots of extra work, so please make swap arrangements. The low fees at IBRSC only work because we have no staff, so please do your bit.
  
But I don't know anything about running sailing...
Don't worry. You'll be assigned to a duty team led by an experienced IBRSC member, so don't worry if you've never driven a safety boat or started a race - we'll teach you. Duties are fully described in the duty day handbook which will be on this site shortly, and is available from the clubhouse, don't be afraid to ask if you don't know something, we're all here to help.  You will get the duty handbook in your membership pack when you join.
  
What should I bring?
Suitable kit to allow you to be in the safety boat - wetsuit or drysuit mandatory over the winter season, buoyancy aid mandatory all year. Remember that sitting still in the boat makes you colder than actively sailing a dinghy, so wrap up warm. Gloves to pull anchor chains and a watch to time races are also useful.

Items not to bring:
Small children - you can't look after them and carry out the requirements of the team. Bigger kids are welcomed (14 or over) and can really help the team.

Regular sailors will find the duty commitment minimal and it means that our fees stay low. Plus you learn a great deal. We ask that you ensure that you are able to do these duties before joining Island Barn - the club can only work if everyone does their bit. If you cannot meet the commitment then unfortunately IBRSC may not be the right place for you. That said, we only ask for 28 hours a year - IBRSC sails all year round and four times a week in the summer so you will find yourself sailing a lot more than you are on duty.