Lifejackets when racing

kengill

kengill

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Is it an offence under health and safety legislation to permit races to take place when the participants are not wearing lifejackets?

I'm thinking particularly of the RYA event last weekend where photos published by the RYA suggest that minors were permitted to race in the events without wearing lifejackets.

With the Olympics coming up and lots of visitors from abroad sailing in competitions from Weymouth should not all events under the auspices of the RYA and or Olympic authorities require all participants to wear lifejackets when afloat?
 
I've not seen the picture's so cannot comment. I would agree with you that there is a H&S issue for youngsters sailing on their own say in an optimist and it should be in the class rules. but when your talking about racing in bigger boats with a crew it's down to the skipper and what's stated in the SI's unless a code flag yankee has been hoisted prior to the starting sequence.

Yankee = all competitors must wear LJ's only normally hoisted when it's rather breezy.
 
The question relates not to personal choice but legal liability. Just imagine if a child were knocked out by the boom in an uncontrolled gybe and went on to drown because they fell overboard.

Would you like to explain to their parents that as the race officer - commodore of the sailing club that you did not insist on lifejackets being worn?

Sensible clubs like Grafham stipulate that when afloat lifejackets must be worn.
 
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Is it an offence under health and safety legislation to permit races to take place when the participants are not wearing lifejackets?

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Very likely. Most activities come into that category nowadays. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Surely a matter for the parents to decide in the case of minors, or the event organiser?

No real need for busybodies to intervene, is there? Haven't they got enough to do making sure we don't scald ourselves with hot coffee etc
 
When dinghy racing the wearing of personal bouyancy is normally mandatory, and non compliance will lead to disqualification. THis is not new and is seen by most as common sense.
 
Disagree.

It should be up to the race organisers to ensure that all competitors wear lifejackets. if everyone wears them then no-one is disadvantaged.

Particulary the RYA. They should lead the way and insist that all competitions under their aegis require all participants to wear lifejackets.
 
Got any links to the pictures? My kids race dinghies a lot and bouyancy aids are invariably mandatory; they would be disqualified for not wearing them.
But they tend to be hidden under rash vests or similar outer garments for streamlining so they're not always obvious as here:-

BouyancyAid.jpg
 
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Yet the RYA publishes photos of winning sailors in its racing series not wearing lifejackets.

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Can you link these photos?

Dinghy racing will have mandatory buoyancy aids, but as others have said the common practice now is to wear a rash vest over the top to prevent snagging. So not always obvious they are being worn.

If it's a keelboat race then it's up to the skipper, unless Yankee is flown.
 
All can/should be covered by club/event rules and common sense, no need for any other busybodies or 'national bodies' to be involved.
As others have said, buoyancy aids in dinghy racing are now frequently worn beneath rash vests and therefore not obvious to those not familiar with the sport.
The club can have rules that say B.A.'s must always be worn when club racing, and most club rules do say that these days.
For open events, the event rules can say that they must be worn, and again that's pretty usual these days.
So far as kids are concerned, parental responsibility still counts.
These matters can happily be managed at local level, just as they have always been.
 
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http://www.rya.org.uk/Pages/Home.aspx

photo under the heading "Mills and Hughes lead the way in RYA spring opener"

I'd suggest that the items being worn by the people in your photo are buoyancy aids - not lifejackets - there again I'm open to info to the contrary.

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Yes, they are wearing buoyancy aids the nearest girl under a rash vest, the other under a spray top. Not obvious I know but they are.

As to your other point, buoyancy aids are standard when dinghy racing, are you suggesting that full lifejackets should be worn when dinghy racing?
 
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