The sailing community, particularly those involved in safety and the administration of offshore racing in NSW are saddened and mourning the loss of Tim Cox AM who passed away on Thursday, 4 April 2024, aged 77.
All racing under the Australian Sailing Racing Rules of Sailing & Special Regulations requires personal safety equipment and sailing in stormy conditions equipment to be compliant, in date, audited and ‘fit-for-purpose’.
Clubs organising offshore races sometimes require crew to have sufficient experience and be accepted as such. In certain cases, this is even prescribing that certain feeder races or equivalent qualification passages be undertaken.
When coaching or doing on water race administration for foiling classes, different risks may require different inclusions in the medical kit you carry.
Keel and rudder fins fail for various reasons, and periodic visual inspections by an appropriately qualified person can do to a lot to mitigate this risk.
Concussion is a significant and complex health issue arising within the Australian sporting, affecting all levels of play and with varying degrees of risk in different sports. Sailing is not exempt from this.
Racing offshore in a Double Handed event brings about its own challenges that can be very different to a fully crewed boat. Rob Gough talks about what it takes to be prepared.
Australian Sailing has issued two amendments to the Special Regulations. One regarding the Safety and Sea Survival qualification and the other for medical kits.
Where a grab bag should be stowed requires thought and communication. The best spot will vary from boat to boat, but crew need to be able to grab it in an emergency.
Amendments to the Special Regulations have been issued removing emergency steering requirements for categories 4 and 5N and removing a non-binding explanatory note concerning inspection of fire extinguishers.