Safety, Liability, and Protests

Racing is often exciting, sometimes boring (no wind!) -- but it should always be safe.  

The first way to be safe is to know and follow the Racing Rules of Sailing.  These are published every four years by US Sailing.  Updates may be published as they become necessary.  The Rules may be purchased here, along with other resources that help sailors better understand and follow the rules.

A second way to be safe is to have all safety equipment required for a given race.  Typically the Notice of Race will describe what equipment is necessary.

A third way is to keep a well-stocked first aid kit aboard, along with a manual describing how to treat common accidents and illnesses.  Several web sites are available recommending what to carry.

A fourth way is to carry and know how to use a compass and a set of charts for the area of the race, in case your electronic navigation aids should fail for any reason.

A fifth way is to be aware of commercial traffic that may traverse the race area.  The Coast Guard provides a Marine Safety Bulletin describing how to learn what traffic may be in the area.

Liability Waiver

Accidents do happen, even to skippers who do their best to stay safe.  In the Corinthian spirit, the person who causes the accident pays for repairs to the other boat, medical expenses, etc.  However, we all recognize that issues of responsibility can be contested in court.  In today's society, any organization that conducts activities that can be dangerous must take steps to protect itself from claims of liability.  For that reason, PYC requires every skipper who participates in a race to complete a Racer Responsibility & Waiver form.  The form is included in the packet of information given out before each race.  It need be completed only once for the season.  You may inspect or download the form here.

Protests

Even when everyone strives to obey the rules, there are occasional situations in which one boat has reason to believe another boat has broken a rule.  The Racing Rules of Sailing provide a protest mechanism for adjudicating alleged rule violations.  The Sailing Instructions for a given race typically specify how and when protests are to be filed.  If the need should arise, you may download an official Protest Form here.