SKIPPERS AND CREW
At a recent regatta on Lake Champlain, multiple boats lost crew overboard while racing in high winds. All were recovered safely. However, in light of these incidents, it seems prudent to remind ourselves of the importance of life jacket use during LCYC races.
All
participants are encouraged to wear approved life jackets in appropriate
conditions. Skippers and crew are individually responsible for their own
personal safety. Considerations such as wind strength, wave height, air and
water temperature, general weather conditions, swimming and boat-handling
ability, the wearing of foul-weather gear (which might impair swimming ability)
and other such factors should be weighed in an individual’s decision to wear or
not to wear a life jacket.
All racers are reminded of Rule 40 of the Racing Rules of Sailing
which reads as follows:
When flag Y is displayed with one sound before or with the warning signal, competitors shall wear life-jackets or other adequate personal buoyancy. Wet suits and dry suits are not adequate personal buoyancy.
Racers should anticipate that the Race Committee will display the Code Y flag, indicating that life jackets are required, when repeated wind speeds of over 20 mph are observed prior to the start of a sailboat race. The Code Y flag may also be displayed in situations of less wind speed where conditions still weigh in favor of lifejacket use.
The Code Y flag looks like this:
While use of life jackets is mandatory when the Code Y flag is displayed, racers should obviously feel free to decide in favor of wearing life jackets regardless of whether the Code Y flag is displayed.
Be safe and have fun out there.
The Regatta Committee