What do course judges and the judge in boat do?

Course Judges are judges of fact on how an event is conducted. They:

• Sit in an elevated position where possible, or in a boat for water events, so they have a constant view.
• Report any breach of the rules to the Chief Judge, Sectional Referee or Event Director.
• Report safety concerns or rescue situations immediately to the Chief Referee or Safety Officer.
• Check the alignment of all buoys before and during the competition, especially when conditions change.

Course Judge in Boat (Sea Judge):

• Reports to the Sectional Referee or Chief Judge for instructions before the competition.
• In events where competitors must round all buoys, sits (sea permitting) on the inside of the buoy line, between the buoys and the beach.
• In board rescue and rescue tube rescue events, acts as both Course Judge and Finish Judge, watching that teams follow the event rules.
• Doubles as a rescue boat and helps in any rescue. The crew keeps board riders, other craft and surfers a reasonable distance from the competition area.

Breaches seen by a sea judge are decided by the Chief Judge or Sectional Referee together with the judges concerned.

Course errors: a competitor who misses a turning buoy or flag may return by the most direct route to correct it without penalty. Once they have correctly crossed the finish line they can't go back to fix an earlier error.