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VOLUNTEER POSITIONS

Volunteers are the key to Swiftsure's success. This year, we are looking for volunteers in the following roles. If you are interested in a position, and meet the necessary requirements, please register to volunteer.

Race Management

Finish Line
Reports to: Race Officer
Duties Saturday/Sunday/Monday teams organized in A,B,C watches, 6 hour length; rotation from Saturday race start through end of race. Reporting to the Duty Race Officer, record sail numbers and finishing time for competitors as they finish and enter these data into the Swiftsure Information System. Verify database information to ensure accuracy of data entered. Member of the Race Committee	Requirements Some racing and/or boating experience preferred for some members of the watches Restricted Operator's Certificate, Maritime (VHF) for at least one member of each watch Pass a basic security check for access to secured areas at Ogden Point

Inspection Dock
Reports to: Race Officer
Duties Saturday/Sunday/Monday teams organized in A,B,C watches, 6 hour length; rotation from Saturday race start through end of race. Reporting to the Duty Race Officer , conduct on-the-water and on-the-dock inspections of all yachts after their finishes to ensure their compliance with the safety requirements defined in the Sailing Instructions. Collect reporting cards from all competitors Collect transponders from all yachts after their finishes and record their collection.	Requirements Can provide their own their own PFD, foul weather gear and hand-held marine VHF radio Familiarity with sailing yachts and their safety equipment Boating and safe boat handling experience required, but not for all team members For at least one member of each on-the-water team Canadian Coast Guard Pleasure Craft Operator Card Restricted Operator's Certificate, Maritime (VHF)

Registration Check-In
Reports to: Race Officer
Duties 4 hour shifts on Thursday, Friday Set up registration at Swiftsure Information Centre Assist the Registration Duty Race Office or Ratings Officer to answer race related questions at Swiftsure Information Centre Record competitor information for use during the race by Race Officers at the Ogden Point Race Operation Centre	Requirements Prefer some sailing/racing knowledge Pleasant, adaptable, good communicator

Starting Team for Pin Boat, Spacer Boat, Mark Boat or Patrol Boats
Reports to: Race Officer
Duties Set starting line pin boat and starting area corner marks Perform line judge duties at pin end of starting line Raise and lower signal flags at pin end of the starting line Patrol starting area to keep competitors not yet in their sequence aware of the boundaries Act as spacer vessel between Navy signal boat and the race fleet	Requirements Considerable race management knowledge Experienced with the safe handling of small power boats Canadian Coast Guard Pleasure Craft Operator Certificate Restricted Operator's Certificate, Maritime (VHF) Provide own PFD, foul weather gear and hand-held marine VHF radio

Starting Team for Signal Vessel
Reports to: Race Officer
Duties Time the start sequence Raise and lower signal flags Sound horns and guns via Navy personnel Sight the starting line Communicate with patrol vessels, pin boat and spacer boat	Requirements Considerable race management knowledge Restricted Operator's Certificate, Maritime (VHF)

Entertainment

Beer Garden Bartender
Reports to: Entertainment Manager
Duties Thursday/Friday Set up bar Bartending Bar clean up Possibly ticket sales (before Finance ticket seller shifts)	Requirements Pouring It Right course and/or bartending experience Pleasant and positive attitude Ability to potentially work securely with cash for short periods

Crowd Control
Reports to: Entertainment Manager
Duties Thursday/Friday Set up tables/chairs & advertising banners Crowd management Clean up and take down	Requirements Physical strength required for some duties Pleasant and positive attitude

Promotion & Publicity

Media Relations Coordinator
Reports to: Publicity and Promotions Chair
Duties Define overall media relations program in collaboration with Chair Marketing and Media, Sponsorship Chair (media sponsors) and Media Spokesperson Build strong relationships with the media network, both Swiftsure media sponsors and other media outlets, to ensure timely access to accurate Swiftsure communication material Coordinate news and advertising opportunities between various media outlets and Swiftsure organizers, sponsors, partners and community organizations Prepare and distribute media packages in advance of Race weekend Ensure Race results are made available to racers, media and public as quickly as possible, including posting preliminary results through News Updates and the Info Centre during the Race weekend, and distributing official results immediately when finalized Update Swiftsure website during the Swiftsure weekend Support Media Spokesperson(s) by distributing News Updates and identifying and arranging for media interviews, particularly during Race weekend Position starts January 1 to build Swiftsure media relations program Available periodically as required January 1 to May 1 Available on-call during May leading into Race weekend Available on-site as needed Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday	Requirements Knowledge of, and preferably experience with, different media opportunities Ability to strategize and design a program to optimize media involvement and Swiftsure exposure Ability to collaborate with others including the Swiftsure Media team, other Race officials, sponsor media relations staff and members of the media Ability to manage multiple tasks at one time, under pressure, to meet media deadlines Familiarity with WordPress or willingness to learn online publishing system is an asset

Media Spokesperson
Reports to: Publicity and Promotions Chair
Duties Primary spokesperson for Swiftsure Race Committee in support of Swiftsure Chair Ensure the competitors, the media and the public receive accurate information about the Race, and promote Swiftsure visibility in the community Provide information to the media and public through various media outlets including News Updates, the Swiftsure Info Centre, until the race is officially complete and results have been finalized and posted Available periodically as required for January 1 to May 15 Available on-call for 10 days leading into Race weekend Available on-site for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday	Requirements Experience and/or considerable confidence approaching and working with all levels of media; radio, television, newspapers, magazines Extensive knowledge of Swiftsure history, Race organization and on-the-water racing Personable and articulate in a media interview setting Considerable MSWord knowledge

Media Writer
Reports to: Publicity and Promotions Chair
Duties Write original content for media materials - RVYC website, news releases, communication updates, Review and edit written media content prepared by others Support other members of the Media Team in preparing communication content appropriate for the target audience Available periodically from January 1 to May 1 to prepare content as required for website, news release and media	Requirements Strong writing skills for media related content, including word processing capacity Passion for writing Experience with, or understanding of, the requirements for different media formats (newspaper, magazine, on-line, blogs, news releases, etc.) Knowledge of Swiftsure history and organization, sailing and racing

News Team
Reports to: Publicity and Promotions Chair
Duties Develop an overall Swiftsure News program to generate interesting and accurate stories related to Swiftsure history, organization, competitors, sponsors, partners, events, personalities Research and write Swiftsure stories for use by the Swiftsure media team and the media (distributed through various media channels including television, radio, newspapers, magazines, websites, RVYC and other club communication networks) Support Media Spokesperson during Race weekend by identifying and arranging potential media interviews, both related to Swiftsure News and interesting emerging news stories (e.g. from racers and organizers) Write News Updates over the Race weekend to keep website current, accurate and entertaining with breaking news Support Media Spokesperson during Race weekend by providing News updates 1 position (Team Leader) periodically from March 1 to May 15 to plan news program and undertake initial story research and writing Available starting May 15 through to the end of Race weekend: 1 member per day up to Wednesday prior to Race Weekend, then all 3 on 6 hour shifts from Thursday through to Sunday to identify story opportunities, conduct research, arrange interviews, draft News Updates	Requirements experience preparing written media stories experience working with media writing skills and competence using computers (Word) knowledge of Swiftsure history and sailboat racing

Swiftsure Info Centre Lead
Reports to: Publicity and Promotions Chair
Duties Plan the operation of the Info Centre including equipment, supplies and staffing Participate as a member of the P&P Planning Team Arrange staffing schedule for Race weekend coverage Train Info Centre volunteers in Race weekend duties Oversee Info Centre set-up and ongoing operations through Race weekend (Thursday to Sunday) Deal with challenging information requests by referring to appropriate Race officials Available periodically in Jan to May to attend P&P meetings to plan Info Centre operations and staffing On-site and on-call Thursday to Sunday to oversee Info Centre set-up and operation	Requirements Organizational skills to plan, staff and operate a public service Supervisory skills to train, organize and oversee volunteer staff on shifts Basic knowledge of Swiftsure Race Basic computer skills including word processing

Swiftsure Info Centre Team
Reports to: Publicity and Promotions Chair
Duties Supply information about the Race, weather, and events to the public and racers Direct detailed requests for information to appropriate Race officials or Team Leader as required Direct media information requests to the Swiftsure Media Management Team Availability: Friday, Saturday, Sunday 8am until 8 PM; 3 teams of 4 with 4 hour shifts	Requirements Pleasant and positive attitude Prefer basic knowledge of the Swiftsure race Prefer basic computer knowledge

Website Content Lead
Reports to: Publicity and Promotions Chair
Duties Ensure content on website adequately portrays the Swiftsure brand Ensure website content is comprehensive/complete in communicating to target audiences (racers, media, community, and volunteers) Identify ways for the website to promote Swiftsure's sponsors (e.g., via sponsor logo, a page explaining the sponsor's relationship to Swiftsure and sponsor services) Monitor website content for accuracy, spelling, and grammar. Identify topics/areas that need content and either write it or ask the responsible person on the Swiftsure Steering Committee to generate the content	Requirements Clear, concise editing and writing skills Knowledge of the various aspects of the Swiftsure race Knowledge of how to effectively communicate via the Web Moderately skillful with MS Word Willing to learn WordPress for entering content onto the Swiftsure website (not difficult to learn)

Logistics

Concierge
Reports to: Logistics Chair
Duties Liaise with participants, volunteers and the public by telephone, computer and in person Contribute to the development, publication and amendment of the Log-ops Information Booklet before (supervisor only) and during (assistants) the race weekend Stand a 4-6 hour watchkeeping rotation from 0600 - 2330 at the Info centre in the Bimini from start of registration (Thursday) until end of race (Sunday PM) Greet arriving race yachts, act as ambassador & local resource	Requirements Possess excellent interpersonal skills Be generally knowledgeable of Swiftsure race, organization and personnel procedures and requirements. Moderate computer literacy would be an asset

Customs Team - HMCS Malahat
Reports to: Logistics Chair
Duties Thursday/Friday - stand 4 hour shifts between 0800 and 1800 Meet US race boats at Swiftsure's Customs Dock at HMCS Malahat as they enter Victoria Harbour Assist these boats in clearing Canadian Customs by phone Receive dock lines and aid in docking the boats if asked	Requirements Friendly, cheerful and welcoming attitude Knowledge of handling of boats and lines helpful Restricted Operator's Certificate - Maritime (VHF) for at least one member of each team

IT Setup/Takedown Crews
Reports to: Logistics Chair
Duties Assist with setup and takedown of computers, sound systems and associated equipment at all venues Take direction/supervision from Technology Committee in conjunction with Swiftsure Centre Logistics Supervisor Available Wednesday PM/ Sunday PM or Monday AM	Requirements Flexibility, initiative and a willingness to take direction Prefer knowledge of computer operation, hardware & network cabling Requires moderate physical strength and flexibility

Log-ops Duty Officer
Reports to: Logistics Chair
Duties Stand a 6 hour watch between 0600 and 2400 from 1200, Thursday until Sunday evening; Monitor/supervise logistics and operations activities at all venues Receive and action telephone, radio and personal queries from participants, volunteers, civil authority, support organizations and the public Respond to logistic requirements arising from committee chairs during the event	Requirements Possess excellent interpersonal skills Be intimately knowledgeable of the Swiftsure race, organization, personnel, procedures and requirements Requires moderate computer literacy and familiarity with marine radio communication. VHF ROC - M required May require additional training off site before event weekend

Logistics Supervisor - Start Line & Finish line (2 Positions)
Reports to: Logistics Chair
Duties Start Line: On site at Clover Point on Saturday AM Finish Line: On site at Ogden Point on Friday PM and Sunday PM or Monday AM and on-call for remainder of event Supervise setup and takedown of R/V and equipment and provision of infrastructure/services at the Clover Point Start Line and Ogden Point Finish Line Identify and respond to unplanned logistic requirements arising from setup, operations and takedown at the applicable venue Liaise with on-site Race Committee during weekend if required	Requirements Good organizational & planning skills General knowledge and experience as a "handyman" would be an asset but is not required

Logistics Supervisor - Swiftsure Centre
Reports to: Logistics Chair
Duties Responsible for the planning, coordination and execution of all aspects of the Swiftsure Centre physical setup Direct and supervise setup and removal of tents and trailers, installation of equipment and provision of infrastructure/services Identify and respond to unplanned logistic requirements arising from Swiftsure Centre during setup, operations and takedown Available on site 24/7 Wednesday through Monday	Requirements Possess good organizational & planning skills Intimately knowledgeable of the Swiftsure race, organization, personnel, procedures and requirements

Setup/Takedown Crews
Reports to: Logistics Chair
Duties Assist with movement, setup and takedown of equipment at applicable venue and/or RVYC clubhouse May work at more than one venue and participate in setup, takedown or both as desired Required on any or all of Wednesday Afternoon/Thu Forenoon/Sat Evening/Sun Evening/Mon Morning	Requirements Be able to follow direction in assembling staging, lighting, electrical extension cords, computer cabling, audio equipment, scaffolding, decorations, furniture, etc General "handyman" type knowledge would be an asset but is not necessary Requires moderate physical strength and flexibility Available Wednesday/Thursday; Sunday/Monday

Docking - Victoria Inner Harbour
Reports to: Logistics Chair/Dockmaster
Duties 4-hour shifts; Wednesday(2 shifts), Thursday (3 shifts), Friday (3 shifts) at berthing floats or on the water Direct and assist boats entered in the race as they arrive in Inner Harbour Act as coxswain or crew member in RVYC inflatable Monitor public access to floats at Inner Harbour Each shift has a team lead who reports to the Dockmaster	Requirements Knowledge of handling of boats and lines helpful For one member of each on-the-water team, prefer: Canadian Coast Guard Pleasure Craft Operator's Certificate, Canadian Lifesaving Society Boat Rescue Certificate, Restricted Operator's Certificate - Maritime (VHF)

Technology Support

SPOT Coordinator
Reports to: Technology Chair
Duties Saturday/Sunday/Monday provide support/guidance to SPOT team Monitor SPOT data & Swiftsure website during race weekend to ensure transponder data appears to be correctly transmitting Work to resolve any SPOT transmission issues through the race weekend Work with the Technology Team if required to resolve SPOT data issues. Member of the Technology Committee Update SPOT registration website Provide SPOT support to other Races/Regattas that are using the Swiftsure Tracker System Brief the racer on the use of SPOTs Be responsible for managing the SPOT inventory, including distribution and collection of SPOTs, and returning failed units under warranty	Requirements Considerable knowledge of SPOT transponder functions Ability to understand SPOT data interface to Swiftsure website Availability ahead of Swiftsure race to work with Technology Team

SPOT Support
Reports to: Technology Chair
Duties Saturday/Sunday provide the public and other interested people with an overview of SPOT information and function Monitor SPOT data & communicate to the public about individual yachts of interest in the Swiftsure race Work with the Swiftsure Information Centre team to enlarge on items of interest in the Swiftsure race Work with the Technology Team if required to resolve SPOT data issues From time to time, assist SPOT coordinator in his/her duties including support of other races/regattas using the SPOTs	Requirements Considerable knowledge of SPOT transponder functions Ability to understand SPOT data interface to Swiftsure website Availability ahead of Swiftsure race to work with Technology Team

Marine Operations & Communications

Liaison Radio Operator
Reports to: Race Officer
Duties Saturday/Sunday/Monday - Teams organized into rotations by race start @ 1000 on Saturday, continuing through Sunday afternoon (or beyond) Linked with Duty Race Officers to provide their communications Ensure the Duty Race Officer, the duty Radio Supervisor and the duty Release Team Member seek and resolve unaccounted-for yachts Ensure at the finish line that marine VHF radios are functioning properly and all clocks, radios and computers in the finish line station are coordinated to GPS time	Requirements Industry Canada Amateur Radio Certificate and a Restricted Radio Operator Certificate (Marine) (VHF) Supply own dual band (2m-440) handheld sets with power of at least 5 W Familiar with yachting or yacht racing Prefer operators with their own dual band (2m-440) mobile sets with power of at least 25 W and omni-directional, dipole or J-pole antennae

Marine Operations and Radio Communications Officer
Reports to: Race Officer
Duties Secure all required marine event permits and marine support vessels, aircraft and radio stations from Canadian and US authorities Responsible for the vessels, aircraft and other assets that support the race Responsible for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communications throughout the race area Principal point of contact with US and Canadian emergency response agencies during incidents	Requirements A member of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club Working knowledge of yacht racing and familiar with Swiftsure International Yacht Race Holds valid Transport Canada Pleasure Craft Operator Card, a Restricted Radio Operator Certificate (Marine), an Amateur Radio Operator (Basic) Licence Prefer a Registered Communicator in the BC Provincial Emergency Program

Radio Operator, Mark Rounding Vessels
Reports to: Race Officer
Duties All day Saturday/Sunday from race start until all boats have rounded for that race Deploy Airmail sets and VHF/UHF mobile sets on board mark rounding vessels Establish voice and packet contact with Ship Point radio station Identify, record, and report the rounding times of all competitors as they round the mark vessels Produce packet messages using the PIP rounding time program and transmit packets Update vessel database in Airmail computers with information received by packet	Requirements Experience with living aboard small vessels Immune from motion sickness Familiar with handling small sailing and power vessels in the Juan de Fuca Strait sea and weather conditions Familiar with AIRMAIL and packet nodes in the Victoria area Restricted Operator's Certificate � Maritime and Amateur Radio Operator (Basic) Licence Prefer operators with their own mobile dual band (2m-440) mobile sets with power of at least 25 W and with omni-directional, dipole or J-pole antennae Prefer operators with own AIRMAIL sets

Administration

Logistics Administrator
Reports to: Swiftsure Coordinator
Duties Confirm requirements with Logistics Chair Ordering tents - get 3 quotes Port-o-potties - typically get 3 quotes Trailer rental RV usage - contact RVYC members to confirm availability Dumpsters (garbage, cardboard) Order busses for Oregon Offshore BBQ- get 3 quotes Hours a week I would say maybe 2 here and there. Lots of sending emails and waiting to hear back.	Requirements Flexibility, good organization skills Able to work with MSWord, Excel Available for about 2 hours/week in April & May

Registration Administrator
Reports to: Swiftsure Coordinator
Duties acquire all required registration information from yachts (web and paper) ensure each boat has paid and amount is correct (US cheques) check each boat's PHRF (& forward this to Swiftsure Ratings Officer to review) from web information have Technology Team make 3 different excel files for skipper packages make labels with skipper name/ boat name for registration board print race cards work with Swiftsure Registration Team Lead to coordinate an evening for volunteers to assist with preparing skippers packages update a list of every boat name/ race to order participation pennants possibly assist with assigning SPOT transponders to yachts	Requirements Flexibility, good organization skills Able to work with MSWord, Excel and web applications Available for about 8 hours/week for the 4-5 weeks before Swiftsure

Support Services
Reports to: Swiftsure Coordinator
Duties Daytime or evening, during the weeks before the race Stuff racers packs, help with photocopying, collating Support various teams prior to start of race Assist with preparing skipper and media packages Assist with general office tasks, as needed Those with vehicles, to help move office stuff to Ship point on Thursday AM	Requirements Willing, team attitude, promptness Prepared to take direction from office staff Available at short notice for varying lengths of time in the 2 weeks prior to Swiftsure

Finance

Beer Garden Ticket Sellers
Reports to: Beer Garden Ticket Lead
Duties Thursday/Friday - up to 3 hour shifts Sell liquor and beverage tickets	Requirements Experience dealing securely with cash in an open setting Ability to work quickly/accurately/pleasantly in a high-volume and noisy environment

Beer Garden Ticket Lead
Reports to: Finance Chair
Duties Oversee ticket sales volunteers Thursday/Friday PM Communicate with prior ticket volunteers mid-April to confirm their participation & schedule Fill ticket sales volunteer vacancies with assistance from the Swiftsure Volunteer Coordinator Organize shift changeovers in concert with Finance Chair	Requirements Ability to lead a group of volunteers Experience dealing securely with cash in an open setting Ability to work quickly/accurately/pleasantly in a high-volume and noisy environment

Awards

Awards @ Ship Point
Reports to: Trophy Coordinator
Duties Assist with loading trophies from RVYC and unloading at Ship's Point Assist with unboxing trophies and setting them up in the order they will be presented in Assist in the presentation of the trophies Assist in re-boxing trophies and reloading them into a vehicle Assist in moving trophies from vehicle back into storage at RVYC.	Requirements Understanding of process and protocol for organization of awards Available for the day of the awards (Friday before the race) Willingness to deal with and adapt to last minute changes and help deliver a professional looking presentation Having a van or truck available to transport trophies would be an asset

Polishing Services
Reports to: Trophy Coordinator
Duties 1 evening or weekend approximately 2-3 hours, about 2 weeks before Swiftsure Assist Trophy Coordinator to move trophy boxes, remove trophies, polish, and return to boxes to store.	Requirements Willing to roll up sleeves and get it done

Sponsorship

Silent Auction Administrator
Reports to: Sponsorship Chair
Duties Contact potential silent auction sponsors and do follow-up calls Ensure auction items are sent to winning bidders after the night of the silent auction Work with Sponsorship Chair to organize and set up Online Auction and follow up with winning bidders Provide letters of appreciation to donors of Silent Auction items	Requirements Good communicator, organized Available March through May for short periods

Silent Auction Team
Reports to: Sponsorship Chair
Duties Price and create bid sheets for all the silent auction items; 2 weeks before Swiftsure silent auction for 2-3 hours Arrange and check bid sheets 3 hours before silent auction Setup the bid tables and displays; 3 hours before the silent auction During the silent auction, answer questions from bidders and cease bidding at end of auction Collect payment and distribute the items to the winners directly after the silent auction Assist the Silent Auction Administrator, as needed	Requirements Good communicator MSWord and Excel experience for creating bid sheets, emailing Experience dealing with Cash, Visa and Pos machine an asset Strong customer service skills Available in May, June for 1 or 2 evenings (may include Lobster Night in late June)

Sponsorship Administrator
Reports to: Sponsorship Chair
Duties Assist Sponsorship Chair with administrative work related to sponsorship and the auction Using current Excel data, prepare new spreadsheets to track information, to prepare lists of current sponsors Research contact information on the Internet to find potential new sponsors for the silent auction Prepare letters to potential sponsors, track responses Prepare silent auction bid sheets	Requirements very good internet research, Excel and MS Word skills Availability from January to May

Environment

Dockside Pickup
Reports to: Environment Chair
Duties Friday/Saturday/Sunday late afternoon- 2x2 teams organized to cover each racer dock will collect garbage, refundables, and true recyclables from race teams between 4pm and 6pm Using latex or rubber gloves, responsible for the proper separation of collectables (Note; some American racers collect these items in one bag) correctly sort waste into recyclables, redeemables/refundables, garbage/true refuse	Requirements Able to distinguish between refuse/refundables/recyclables

Databse Log

Time	Log Entry
0:21:42.911671s	Object created.
0:21:42.911897s	CONNECT: New link connected.
0:21:42.911951s	Database selected: prod_registration
0:21:43.010438s	RECONNECT: Existing link OK.
0:21:43.010575s	Standard query executed: SELECT vp.id, vp.title, vc.title as category, vp.reports_to, vp.duties, vp.requirements FROM `volunteer_positions` as vp Left join volunteer_position_category as vc on vp.category = vc.id WHERE vp.status in ('active') ORDER BY vc.order_by, vp.reports_to, vp.title
0:21:43.014179s	DISCONNECT: Databse link closed.

Total time: 0.10250997543335 seconds.

Swiftsure 2012

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors