OFFSHORE SPECIAL REGULATIONS 2006-2007

Summary of principal changes:

The following notes are a guide only and are not complete or exact copies of the text of Offshore Special Regulations.  Please see the printed booklet or the ISAF official web site for the regulations.

Hull Construction Standards
3.03.1 In categories 0,1 and 2 yachts are required to have been designed and built in accordance with either the RCD (EC Recreational Craft Directive) in Category A, or the ABS Guide (American Bureau of Shipping Guide for Building and Classing Offshore Yachts). Since the ABS service has been withdrawn and RCD status is not universally available, new clause 3.03.1 (c) allows a race organizer or class to specify an alternative.

US SAILING prescribes that 3.03.1(c) shall not apply in 2007.

Canting Keels
3.02.3, 3.02.4, 3.04.1 (a) etc.  In January 2005 OSR Appendix K entered into force covering moveable and variable ballast (mainly canting keels and water ballast). Following further experience gained in 2005, revisions have been introduced and parts of the old OSR Appendix K now appear in the main body of the Offshore Special Regulations.  Crew must know how to operate any such systems to recover from a capsize and clear instructions must be displayed.

*US SAILING prescribes that 3.08.2(a) shall not apply in 2007.

Category 0 Water Supply
3.21.2, 3.21.3 The section has been completely revised.

Sealed Batteries
3.2.8.4  In Category 0 all batteries installed from 1/06 must be of the sealed variety.  Under the usual “grandfather” arrangements, batteries already installed at this date may continue to be used for the remainder of their service life.  Sealed batteries are recommended in categories 1,2 and 3 and in some races organizers require sealed batteries as mandatory items.

Category 0 man-overboard location devices
3.29.1 (h), 5.07.1 (b).  The previous absolute requirement for each boat to have a 121.5MHz D/F (direction-finding) set has been modified to permit an alternative device when crew members are appropriately equipped.  5.07.1 (b) remains unchanged in calling for each crew member to have a PLB (personal locator beacon) with 406 MHz and 121.5 MHz.  Attention is drawn to the value of each crew member carrying on their person a PLB in other categories of offshore race.

Category 0 inmarsat-C, radar, AIS.
3.29.1 (j), (l), (m).  Std-C and active radar sets, normally carried in category 0 races, are now included in the Offshore Special Regulations: a class “A” AIS has been added.

Lifeline (guardrail) wire and jackstay wire – no sleeving
3.14.6 (a), 4.04.1 (a) (iii).  Only stranded stainless steel wire is permitted in lifelines (guardrails) (sizes in OSR table 8). Due to the danger of concealed rusting inside permanent sleeving, only temporary sleeving is permitted on lifelines (guardrails).  No sleeving at all is permitted on wire jackstays.

Category 0 Deck Bags
4.29.  Very few boats in category 0 (eg Volvo 60 and 70) have these devices which may be used when RRS 51 (moveable ballast) is modified in the Notice of Race or Sailing Instructions (deck bags offer on-deck storage for sails in the location most beneficial for trimming the boat)

Crew Knowledge
4.08.4. In all categories it is now required that at least one member of the crew shall be familiar with First Aid procedures, hypothermia and relevant communications systems.

Crew Training
6.01. The wide-ranging training requirement detailed in OSR 6.01 for crews in categories 0 and 1 is now extended to category 2 (in UK, the Fastnet and similar races).  The committee heard that experienced yachtsmen who had never before taken part in training, were sceptical before the training and enthusiastic afterwards.

Man-overboard alarm category 0
4.28.  A “panic button” is now required in category 0 with a connection to the electronic navigation system and also an audio alarm below decks.

ISO Liferaft accepted – with provisos
4.20  OSRs from 1/06 will accept, depending on the race category, one of 4 different specifications:
 

Type of liferaft	race categories
SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea Convention, specified for commercial ships) (but a valise pack and a 4-person capacity are acceptable)	all
ORC (Offshore Racing Council) (for rafts already in service at 1/03 and still in serviceable condition) (also known as ISAF part I)	1,2
ISAF part II (new specification ) (introduced 2002)	1,2
ISO 9650 part I type I group A with the following- at least a Pack 2 (<24 hours) a semi-rigid boarding ramp (an alternative arrangement will not do) so arranged that any high-pressure hose shall not impede the boarding process a topping-up means for any inflatable boarding ramp when the liferaft is designed with a single ballast pocket this may be accepted provided the liferaft otherwise complies with ISO 9650 and meets a suitable test of ballast pocket strength devised by the manufacturer and compliance with the items in this panel shall be indicated on the liferaft certificate.	1,2

Valise-packed liferafts and servicing intervals
4.20.5 Following reports of damage possibly caused by rough handling and pending a wider investigation by ISAF, the committee has withdrawn from all valise-packed liferafts in 2006 the option for a service period extended over more than 12 months.

The attention of sailors is drawn to the vulnerability of all packed liferafts (both in rigid containers or canisters, and in valises).  A common cause of damage may be the weight of the heavy steel bottle within the pack, impacting when the pack is dropped and punching holes through layers of folded buoyancy tubing.  Similar damage may be caused when weights or persons stand or jump on top of the pack.

Before purchasing a new liferaft owners are recommended to consult the Offshore Special Regulations to ensure that the product will be acceptable in all respects (type, capacity, packing and stowage).

Chairman of Special Regulations Sub-Committee

"As chairman of this committee I shall hand over to a new chairman Patrick Lindqvist in January 2006.  Patrick, from Helsinki, is a former team captain of the Finnish Commodores’ Cup Team and current vice chairman of the Special Regulations Sub-Committee.  I shall continue to serve ISAF as chairman of the International Regulations Commission and take this opportunity to thank Special Regulations committee members for their hard work and support."

Alan Green
Chairman, Offshore Special Regulations Sub-Committee