Success or distress

[Guest]

Reports of the arrival of the first boat to finish the ARC race at Rodney Bay, St Lucia, state that red very pistol signals were fired in celebration.
With similar recent effervescence elsewhere, it seems that this is now an additional meaning for red pyrotechnics afloat. Eat your heart out MCGA!

 

[Jeremy_W]

Certainly in Britain you can have an area designated for the non-distress use of flares including rockets. In Liverpool we had a very valuable hands-on demonstration of firing off rocket flares in the vicinity of Liverpool Marina. We needed the authority of, to the best of my recollection.. Liverpool City Council, Mereseyside County Council Residuary Body, Mersey Docks & Harbour Company, Merseyside Police, Port of Liverpool Authority, RNLI, Coastguard, Mersey Inshore Rescue Service.. Uncle Tom Cobley and all ... but it is possible!

I've no idea if the organisers of the finish of long distance races arrange a similar exemption.

 

[HMCG]

Officially there is nowhere that red distress rockets can be set off without being in distress. Red hand held flares we will just about cope with as long as there is warning and you try to avoid places which can be viewed from seaward.

No-one is exempt...the Royal Yacht Britannia was told that she could not fire flares by one of our stations in Scotland (during her last voyage)....and they didn't. Unfortunately the usual flottila of yachts around her still did.

Safer lives, safer ships, cleaner seas.

 

[Guest]

ellen mac always lets red flares off!!!