Royal Dart Yacht Club
Safety Requirements
You and your crew must read the Safety Notice in the Notice of Race.
Race Categories
- All Yacht Races in Start Bay are designated RYA Category 5 as defined in the RYA publication Racing Yacht Safety YR9/2001.
- All Keel Boat and Small Cruiser Races in Start Bay are designated RYA Category 6 as defined in RYA publication Racing Yacht Safety YR9/2001.
- Club Coastal Races are designated ORC Category 4.
- The Alderney Race is designated ORC Category 3.
-
Competitors must obtain an Alderney Race Entry Form (by telephoning the General Office), complete
it and obtain the signatures of all crew members confirming that they accept it is the responsibility of
the vessel’s skipper to decide the suitability of passage making and weather conditions before setting
off. This must be received by the Club by midday on the day before the race takes place. Failure to
comply with this requirement invalidates the boat’s entry.
Life Jackets and Engines
- Life jackets or a personal buoyancy aid MUST be worn at all times by Keel Boat crews and
dinghy crews. If the wind strength is expected to be Force 5 or above the Race Officer will fly
Flag Y. When Flag Y is flown all crews must wear lifejackets or personal buoyancy. The penalty
for non-compliance will be disqualification from that race.
- All Yachts and Keel Boats MUST have either a working engine and fuel sufficient to get them
back into the river against a foul tide and in absence of wind, or their own support team.
RYA Category 5: Minimum Requirements for Yacht Safety Equipment
- A suitable means for bailing or pumping and a stout bucket of at least 9 litres capacity attached to
a lanyard.
- At least two red hand flares and two orange smoke flares suitably waterproofed.
- A fire extinguisher capable of extinguishing a petrol, diesel or cooker gas fire.
- One life jacket per crewmember aboard to EN 150 Newton standard ready for immediate use.
- A rescue quoit or throw bag with at least 15m of floating line.
- At least one lifebuoy or life sling.
- A waterproof first aid pack with instructions.
- At least one suitable anchor and sufficient cable to hold in the depth of water and likely weather
conditions.
- A waterproof VHF radio transceiver.
- A marine type steering compass of a minimum card diameter 60mm properly installed and
adjusted.
- All heavy equipment and fittings, including outboard engines, shall be securely fastened.
RYA Category 6: Minimum Requirements for Keelboat/ Small Cruiser Safety Equipment
- A bucket.
- A hand pump.
- An anchor of not less than 6kg in weight together with at least 2m of 3/16ins linked chain and an
anchor warp of not less than 20m in length not less than 10mm in diameter.
- A marine type steering compass of a minimum card diameter 60mm properly installed and
adjusted.
- One life jacket worn by each crewmember on board to EN 150 Newton standard.
- Squibs shall also carry buoyancy bags detailed in the class rules and these shall be securely
attached.
- Boats should also comply with any further buoyancy requirements in force at the time of the
race.
We hope you will make sure you have all these items on your boat and that they remain unused apart
from your life jacket. Ensure your crew knows where safety equipment is stowed and how to use it in
an emergency. It is the skipper’s responsibility to ensure that all crew have read the Safety Notice in
the
Notice of Race.
Emergency contacts
|
| HM Coastguard Brixham Tel: 01803 882704 or 999, VHF Channels 16 and 67 |
National Coastwatch Institution Station, Froward Point Tell: 07 976 505 649
(Monitoring only, Channels 16 and 67. All safety calls should be routed through Brixham Coastguard as above) |
| Dart Harbour & Navigation Authority Tell 01803 832337 or VHF Ch 11 |
|
JPC 30/3/2007