Some individuals see a problem and immediately turn and run away, others do something about it.

Mary Savage and Chuck Fuller are of the latter ilk.

Thus it is that Savage and Fuller find themselves in often unsung, yet extremely important roles of jurors at International Invitational Race Week.

The pair are two of five employed for the Bacardi-sponsored regatta, with Lynne Beale, Peter Shrubb and chairman Robin Judah the others.

Great friends off the water, Savage and Fuller both got into judging following bad experiences they felt were the result of poor officiating.

A decision against Savage many decades ago when in prime position to win a title was the final straw that prompted her to dedicate herself to take steps toward ensuring fairness.

"I decided to become a judge when I thought justice was misguided in a decision against me and I got chucked out of a race that cost me a national championship,'' explained Savage. "It was the Adams Championship, which is the women's national championship, and I determined that the judging could be better and that I would become a judge.

"The judging calibre was so bad at this event and wasn't fair to the sailors, so I became serious about judging ... and I would imagine about half the judges had that happen to them.

"I'd got a lot of pleasure out of sailing for a lot of years and it was time to give back.'' Ditto Fuller, who was similarly left steaming after finding himself on the short end of what he figured was a misinterpretation of the laws.

"For me it was the same thing,'' said Fuller. "I got mad at being told that I was wrong, and I read the rules and just the different interpretation between the two of us ...

"So I got involved, and that was before we even had certification for judges.'' Fuller, an American, is a retired Pasadena, California policeman, however countrywoman Savage was unsure whether she could actually be termed as retired, because she could not recall ever working.

Both enjoyed their share of success in more youthful times, Fuller having started out as a young lad, sailing in among the Great Lakes and going on to win a Thistle Championship and Inter-lake Championship, as well as a Newport 30 title and Challenger Championship after moving from Toledo, Ohio to Long Beach.

"I've just been a boat bum that's been around boats all this time,'' said the affable Californian transplant.

For Savage, the route to the upper echelon of women's racing was an unorthodox one, as she only began sailing as an adult at the behest of her husband, whose motive was to develop additional crew for himself.

"I started sailing as a young mother. I had lived in Larchmont (New York), but didn't even know the water existed growing up, had no idea,'' said the bubbly Savage. "Jim put me in beginners women's sailing class and my first instructor was Tuna, an austere, aghast man, who was not amused by stupid young women who didn't know how to sail ... but I learned pretty quickly.

"Jim put me in because he wanted a good crew, and he was a heck of a good sailor. It didn't dawn on him that I might get better than being just a good crew. I ended up loving to skipper, that's what I really like to do. And I won a lot of stuff ...'' But while serious competing is now but a distant memory, both have found joy on the sidelines.

Savage, as part of the rules committee, finds absolute delight in finding ways to simplify and better clarify articles in the rule book that are often cumbersome and complicated.

A typical example of her voracious enthusiasm toward such came yesterday as she was busy drafting a proposal to amend the rule regarding the altering of courses once racing has started.

"Surprisingly we get less complaints against us than one might think, I would expect more,'' said Savage.

"I think it's a very collegial group, sailors, they realise we're all in this together. It's a self-policing sport, they appreciate what we do, we appreciate what they do.'' Judging and umpiring has carried the pair to various far-flung locales, from Mexico to New Zealand and several points in between. Indeed, where there's a race you'll likely find Mary or Chuck floating smack, dab in the middle.

Judging pals: Chuck Fuller and Mary Savage seen taking a break from `jury duty' at Race Week.