That time of (every other) year

The start of the offshore season in a Rolex Fastnet year is testing for any skipper aiming at the club's biggest single race, and many will have already started on the preparatory work leading up to entering the Fastnet itself. Although there are some changes this year that need careful reading, the RORC hope that the increased use of online entry in particular will lessen the workload.

Safety training

The RORC 2007 Programme explains the training required for all Rolex Fastnet entries and this needs to be read in conjunction with the ISAF Offshore Special Regulations. As it is a Category 2 race, entries for this year's Fastnet must ensure that at least 30 per cent, but no fewer than two members of the crew including the skipper, should have undertaken training under section 6 of ISAF Offshore Special Regulations within five years before the race start. This training consists of both theoretical and practical sessions. There does appear to be some confusion about the 30 per cent requirement and it is stressed that this percentage does include the skipper.

It should also be noted that the training package has increased over that of the old Sea Survival and First Aid courses. In the UK the RYA's new training course is known as the ISAF Offshore Safety Course. Details of establishments carrying out this training can be found on the RYA website (http://www.rya.org.uk).

The cost of the new Offshore Safety Course is under £200. If some of your crew are still current under the old RYA Basic First Aid and Sea Survival Course then they need only undertake a brief module to bring them up to the revised standards. However, the qualification date will remain that of the original course and so it is probably better to undertake the new course; if you qualify this year your five years will remain current for the next three Fastnet races. Another recommendation that many already follow is to arrange for everyone to undergo safety training as a crew.

And related matters...

It was reported at a recent RORC special regulations meeting that the brightness of white flares varies significantly. Brightness is measured in candelas, with the best giving off 10k candela power ­ the worst only gave off some 2.5k. Regrettably you cannot check on the power of your flares from information on the flare, instead you have to check the manufacturer's data sheet. This whole subject is being investigated further and it is hoped that detailed comparisons will be published shortly.

Although ISAF Offshore Special Regulations only require that waterproof handheld VHFs are carried in monohulls in Category 0 and 1 races, a RORC prescription has required that they be carried for Category 2 and 3 races for some time. Now that the cost of this invaluable safety aid has come down markedly there is a move to make them obligatory in Category 4 races as well ­ as is already required for MCA coded yachts. It makes sense to have one VHF in each grab bag; after all, would you want to get into a liferaft without one?

It does make sense

Ed Broadway, owner and skipper of the Max Fun 35 Hooligan V, has written some thoughts on the recent loss of his yacht together, tragically, with one of its crew. Hooligan V's accident at 0320 on 3 February, some seven miles south of Salcombe, is every skipper's nightmare. The incident is being officially investigated so any comments are confined to lessons that can be learned (particularly in a Fastnet year) rather than speculation on what caused the loss of the boat's keel.

After the capsize four of us met at the stern of the boat, opened the flare pack and fired three parachute flares from the water in the dark. Then a wave dropped into the container which promptly sank along with the rest of the flares.

We had taken the ISAF crew course so knew something about liferafts. Ours was stowed at the stern of the cockpit sole with the knife for cutting the lashing attached to the tiller ahead of the raft ­ all now under water and beyond reach. We all carry knives so one of us started to cut through the lashing to release the liferaft.

With the stern submerged for much of the time, and at maximum reach for the rest of the time, this proved very difficult and exhausting. It took about half an hour to release the raft and by then the cold was getting to us. Frozen hands dropped the knife just as the last strands were cut through, and we were rapidly losing the ability to think rationally. We finally boarded the raft but found it impossible to bail with the flexible bailers provided.

There were now several ships in the area so we fired handheld red flares and were picked up after about 50 minutes.

Key lessons:
1. Our lifejackets were all auto-inflate, so swimming out from the cabin I could not wear one. Should some be manual-inflate? If so, how many? But wear them.
2. The flare pack was in the cabin with the grab bag. Fortunately I was in the cabin so could push them out through the hatch. Is there a better place to stow these items?
3. The flare pack sank with most of the flares as soon as the top was removed. Polystyrene inside for permanent flotation?
4. Flares have different ignition systems. Surely we need standardisation here? Being in the water with waves breaking over you and with your hands above your head in the dark is no way to be reading instructions.
5. All crew should carry knives and small waterproof torches as a matter of course. You may also consider mini-flares.
6. Liferaft stowage should be reviewed. Ours was accessible with the boat upside down. The four survivors would not be around if our raft had been Œsafely' stored in a locker.
7. The need for training cannot be overemphasised. We had done sea survival many times and the lessons learned were invaluable, largely because we worked as a team following a set procedure. You may not be able to think yourselves out of trouble after even a short time in the water. Ideally train as a crew.

-- Ed Broadway

It doesn't have to be paper

Fastnet entrants who take advantage of RORC's online entry will reduce their (and our) paperwork and will be able to track the progress of their entry. It is also hoped that the ability of skippers to see online what elements of their entry criteria still have to be met will make things as easy as possible for all to ensure that the paper-chase is complete before 27 July. Good luck!

To read the remainder of this and many other articles, please purchase your copy of the May 2007 edition of Seahorse International Sailing available at selected newsstands or by calling: + 44 (0) 1590 671899 or by email at: info@seahorse.co.uk

You can subscribe via our website