Lay out the harbour
Chartroom Derby begins with two to four crews, the shared route board, a catch deck and the Bonus Dock beside the final route space. Put the pieces within view of everyone before choosing a boat.
Leave an open area for score chips and active event markers. That visible centre lets a new player follow changes without keeping a second version of the round in their head.
A different buoy for each crew
Each crew selects a different boat token and starts at its own buoy. A colour identifies a boat; it does not add an ability or change the rules of the starting space.
Point out the catch spaces, the Scatter lane, the Bonus Dock and the Trophy Lamp before the first roll. This tour explains where instructions come from without prescribing a fixed journey.
Use the complete instruction
Roll, move and draw only where the board instructs a draw. Finish the effect of that space or card before the next crew begins. A card is not an invitation to add an extra action unless its instruction says so.
A first round can move at a conversational pace. Read an unfamiliar instruction once for its story and once for the change it actually asks you to make.