GYA Judges Program – Updated February 10, 2008

Currently there are a total of 10 Certified Senior Judges and 10 Certified Judges in all of GYA. (Five new Certified Judges have been added since the exam in New Orleans in February of 2003) This total, 20, represents a decrease by two Senior judges, one who retired and another who passed away and the addition of one judge who became a Senior judge and another judge who joined HYC, a GYA member club. GYA has an urgent need to increase our efforts to have additional certified judges within GYA. Ask any member of the Appeals Committee and I am sure you will find that having at least one certified judge at our events can make a big difference!

GYA has a plethora of events, and GYA Judges are involved in most, but not all of these events. As part of the GYA Judges Program all organizations having an event within GYA are asked to contact and use GYA Judges.  This should become second nature as experience will show that having the knowledge and abilities of our Judges at the event help improve the overall quality of the event.

GYA is actively recruiting and supporting judge candidates.  GYA is extremely fortunate to have eight (8) people who have attended the Judge’s Workshop and taken the Judge’s Exam. The candidates, who are not yet certified judges, are listed here on the GYA web site and the current certified judges who are working at GYA events are strongly encouraged to use these candidates as part of the Judges Team for those events. This way the candidates gain the necessary experience for certification. Anyone wishing to be included on the candidate listing should contact any GYA Judge or the GYA Administrative Judge as listed on this web site.

Certification of judges is per the requirements of US SAILING. A complete description of the requirements is available on the US SAILING Judges Committee site.  A training seminar and exam are part of the requirements and currently certified judges must attend the seminar and pass an exam once every four (4) years to remain certified. Currently scheduled Judges Workshops, as the seminars are called, can be found at http://www.ussailing.org/judges/workshops/index.asp A Judges Workshop is held within GYA every 2 to 4 years. The last seminar was held Feb. 24-25, 2007 at SYC.  Twenty-three people attended the seminar that was taught by Jim Tichenor and Walter Chamberlain.  Nineteen people took the judges test and 16 people passed! This is really excellent for this course! In addition there were three people attending the course who did not need to take the test at this time, so the number of people who are “current” is very good.  Our thanks to Southern for making this possible. Based on the people attending the course I have updated the list of judge candidates below. Please encourage the use of these people at your events so that they may get the practical experience required to become certified judges. If any additional information is required please contact the GYA Administrative Judge, Chris Luppens.

Current GYA Judge Candidates