This page contains items to assist Umpires
If you are looking for an Umpire Use the RYA Directory

Becoming a Team Racing Umpire

The full requirements to become an RYA Umpire can be found on the RYA Website. You should be an experienced sailor and will need to attend a seminar and log a number of events before you can become fully qualified. The RYA keep a list of people trying to qualify who may be seeking events.

There are separate Seminars for Team Racing and Match Racing and these are organised by the RYA, typically one Seminar in each discipline each year. There are also bursaries available for young peple wishing to become Umpires. Course instructors are approved by the RYA Judging and Umpiring Committee. At the end of the Seminar, there is a 50 question multi-choice exam with 70% pass mark. A pass in this exam gives the candidate the exam pass requirement for the National Umpire qualification.  There is no exam requirement for Regional Umpire.

Region	Date	Venue	Instructor	Booking form	Contact
National/Regional	26/27th March 2011	West Kirby SC	Peter Johnson         & Jon Napier	Booking Form (Word) Booking Form (PDF)	Jacqui Roberts

Keeping Your Hands Warm
Cold hands are one of the problems when Umpiring Team Racing in the Winter. Various people have different solutions
Ewan McEwan says:-
Henri-Lloyd Gortex Helmsman ...... just rinse them in fresh water after use ....... brilliant!
Roger Wilson thinks:-
Rohan Waterproof gloves  - but they are not cheap.
James Blacksell comments:-
I have polar fleece gloves, and then Gore-Tex Henri-Lloyd ocean racer mittens (which I don’t think they do anymore) on top. But I reckon a decent pair of Snow board mittens would do just as well, problem is they lose there waterproofness eventually.
Tom Clay says:-
My solution is Showa 481 PVC gloves. These are waterproof, fleece lined, & v warm with a pair of silk gloves underneath & are not expensive. Purchased from: Baconsdozen Lowestoft via Amazon http://www.baconsdozen.co.uk
Bruce has seen an umpire with warm hands who says “My gloves are SealSkinz.  There is a whole range of them on  http://www.sealskinz.com/gloves  I wear them with the merino lining when it is cold“
They were also recommended by the chief insructor at Pembroke Activity Centre but I never got around to putting the information up - NV. They must be good as they have received the following endorsement from John Doerr:-
You should try their socks too. I now take them when flying instead of boots to keep the weight down. Thermal socks inside a pair of SealSkinz work brilliantly.