Safety At Sea - ISAF Special Regulations Report
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Report from the ISAF Special Regulations
Sub-Committee From Helsinki, To: US SAILING Safety at Sea
Committee It was a busy couple of weeks for
offshore in Helsinki. I’ll provide the highlights. Offshore
Committee Actions: The committee approved the recommendations of the Offshore Special Regulations Sub-Committee (see below) with the exception that it approved the submission of the Italian Sailing Federation to reduce the level of required training in Category 2 races to 20 percent, but only for one year. In addition, Yachting Australia and the RYA will consider local and global issues regarding CPR and First Aid training. See also notes on training in Special Regulations report. Strategic Plan: Offshore has become an important part of ISAF’s planning for the future. The initiatives range from ISAF “Pinnacle” offshore events to environmental matters, world-wide calendar management, and licensure (see International Regulations, below). International Regulations
Commission Licensure continues to come up, but there’s a new twist, possibly tying licensure to the pinnacle events, the ISAF calendar of events, and the ISAF Sailor (classification system.) Wind farms, traffic separation zones, and other matters relating to freedom to sail are being pursued within the relevant international bodies and their constituent governments. The Commission endorsed ISAF’s getting observer status in its own right at the ISO Technical Committee (We now have such status through the RYA and EBA.) The availability of ISO standards was discussed. We are exploring ways to make them more easily available to the MNA’s. Oceanic The first was a compelling report from Stan himself about the Volvo Ocean Race. That report should provide the grounds for several recommendations, ranging from return-to-victim techniques (such as the quick stop), victim location practices and devices, structural matters, fire prevention and fighting, jacklines, harnesses, etc. ISAF is struggling with how to give better recognition to single-handed racing. They now want to do that, which is a change of heart. Oceanic racing not only involves
“pinnacle” events (see above), but is big business in some instances. There was
concern about some changes in representation of oceanic race organizers on the
Oceanic Sub-committee and the Offshore Committee, specifically with regard to
not giving any organizer a sole franchisee relationship with
ISAF. Special
Regulations 3.09.7 Cockpit Volume, rejected. 3.14.4 Cooking Facilities, from the US, deferred. Resubmission sought from US SAILING and RYA. I will coordinate. 4.02 Hull Markings - Multihulls, accepted for immediate implementation. 4.20.3 Liferaft Packing and Storage - Multihulls, deferred. 6.01 Training, Category 3, rejected, decision reversed by Offshore Committee. See above, and below for additional report about training. 6.01 CPR and First Aid Certification, from the US, withdrawn. OSR Appendix H - Code for Organization of Oceanic Races, withdrawn. Reports were received from the Volvo Ocean Race, Route du Rhum, Transt Jaques Varbe, ORMA 60, and the World Speed Sailing Record Council. Small Craft Safety Recommendations - a continuing collaboration between OSR Sub-committee and Equipment Committee. Ken Kershaw chairs. Dina Kowalishin from US is a member, and I am co-opted. Liferafts - a report from RORC regarding the link between valise-packed liferafts and the increased need for servicing was reviewed. Recommendations may be in order. Category 0 Review - Reports from Sten Edholm and Stan Honey about the Volvo Ocean Race may provide the basis for reviews of a variety electrical devices and installations, methods for best locating victims overboard, returning to the victim, harnesses, jacklines, etc. Recommendations for Cruising Sailors - The sub-committee had mixed feelings about this proposed ISAF project, noting that we are unfamiliar with the constituency and that there are many products, some of them very good, on the market already. Training - an informal review of training world-wide showed that training is taking place within ISAF standards in all reporting jurisdictions. Italy requested a reduction in training requirements for Category 2 (See above) and Australia will continue to evaluate matters of responsibility for CPR and First Aid training modules (also see above.) I did not report on training in the U.S. Respectfully submitted,
Report from the ISAF Special Regulations
Sub-Committee From Cyprus, Appendix H – ISAF Code for the organization of Oceanic Races In H 1, "Organizers of oceanic races shall consult with the SAR (Search and Rescue) authorities through whose areas a race is proposed to pass." Replace "shall" with "should". This is a proofreading error. Yachtsman Liferaft Only one company, RFD of Belfast Ireland, is building one. It is named the "Lifeguard". None have actually been produced and no cost information is available. Later, in the Offshore Committee meeting, Alan Green stated that he had heard a US manufacturer is also preparing to offer one. He did not say who that would be. Minoru Tomita voiced concern about cost to Japanese racers. Because of the small numbers of expected users, he anticipates that no Japanese company will build them. Standard practice is to place high import tariffs on such specialty items. No resolution was suggested. Jean Luis Conti recommends that liferafts be marked as meeting ISAF Special Regulations requirements. Alan Green pointed out that the special regulations already mandate that. Conti, who recently completed the Around Alone inspections, noted that no life rafts are marked as meeting any requirements, even SOLAS rafts. Evidently the manufacturers are reluctant to do so because of liability fears. Draft Appendix G – Model Training Course The draft draws on the course developed by the Australian Yachting Federation. Most committee members had only recently received a copy and were reluctant to vote final approval until a more thorough review could be completed. That was agreed to by committee, but is different that what is presented in the minutes (see below). Section 6, Training Revisions to the existing text were adopted to bring it into line with Appendix G. The revised text is attached. There is now a section of the training (6.03) that is labeled "Hands on sessions". This aspect was implicit in the current version, but is now made explicit. These revisions are to take effect in January 2003. Also proposed was this Section 7, ISAF Approved Training Courses and Trainee Certification. 7.1 The status of "ISAF Approved" together with authority to use the ISAF logo may only be awarded to a training course by the ISAF Offshore Training Course Approvals Panel appointed by the ISAF Offshore Special Regulations sub-committee. Applications to the Approvals Panel must be made via an ISAF MNA (Member National Authority). 7.2 A sailor holding an in-date "pass" certificate (each has a validity of 5 years) from an ISAF Approved Offshore Personal Survival Course shall be accepted by a race organizer as having complied with the requirements of ISAF Offshore Special Regulation 6.01. 7.3 "Pass" certificates issued at an ISAF Approved course shall carry the statement "ISAF Approved Offshore Personal Survival Course" and may carry the ISAF logo. 7.4 Unless otherwise stated in the Notice of Race, it is not mandatory that a training course for compliance with SR 6.01 is "ISAF Approved". However this status is encouraged wherever possible. Section 7 as written above was not approved by the committee. The following is the exact text of the recommendation to the Offshore Committee. That committee adopted these recommendations. Training: Recommendation to Council The Offshore Committee recommends that Council:
Copyright Issues: Recommendations to Council The Offshore Committee recommends that Council acting in the best interests of promoting safety should continue the long-established practice of granting free reproduction rights for Special Regulations provided that (a) the applicant prints an acknowledgment of the copyright owner on reproduced copies of the material and (b) the applicant supplies to the copyright owner a copy of the publication in which the reprint appears. Regarding ISAF Council approval of the above recommendations. Although the Offshore Committee approved these recommendations, ISAF Council approval by vote is required for them to take effect. That has not happened, yet. They were presented to council as a part of a report from the Offshore Committee. They were separate from the approved list of submissions the council was prepared to act upon. That and the fact that safety and other Offshore subjects were so foreign to the ISAF Council caused great confusion among them about what to do. Finally, Dave Irish recommended that the ISAF Council vote to "receive" these items and let the Executive determine what to do with them at their earliest opportunity (February 02). INTERNATIONAL SAILING FEDERATION SECTION 6 – TRAINING revision to take effect 01/036.01 At least 30% of a crew including the skipper shall have undertaken training within the five years before the start of the race in 6.02 topics for theoretical sessions and 6.03 topics to include practical, hands-on sessions. 6.01.1 It is strongly recommended that all crew members should undertake
personal survival training at least once every five years. (All types, all
categories). 6.02 Training topics for theoretical sessions 6.03 Training topics for practical, hands-on sessions The 1998 Sydney to Hobart Race in Australia has culminated in a Coroner's Report in December 2000. It is expected that many of the findings will have influence on the future on the ORC Special Regulations. This is a valuable resource for Safety and Race Management personnel. THE 1979 FASTNET RACE In 1979, the Fastnet Race in England had a catastrophic storm that caused multiple lives lost and enormous damage and loss to the fleet. US SAILING has available the Fastnet Race Inquiry. This report created the foundation for the Safety Recommendations for Offshore Sailing (Including the ORC Special Regulations).
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