Safety at Sea Seminars
In order to enter San Francisco-based ocean races in 2014, "At least 30% of those aboard, including the person in charge, shall have attended a US Sailing sanctioned Safety at Sea Seminar within the last five years, or other course accepted by the NCORC," per the NorCal Ocean Racing Council recommendations. This will take effect locally starting January 1, 2014, and will be required for this year’s Transpac.
A US Sailing-sanctioned SAS Seminar at Cal Maritime Academy in Vallejo on Sunday, February 24, will address issues that are specific to Northern California racing, including:
- Lessons Learned (Low Speed Chase and Aegean fatal accident reports review and dinghy capsize report review)
- Lending Assistance to Others
- Crew Overboard
- Hypothermia
- Personal Safety Gear
- Search and Rescue
- Communications
- Fire Fighting
- Abandon Ship
- Emergency Signals
- Damage Control
- Weather
Anticipated presenters include: Chuck Hawley, Sally Lindsey Honey, Chris Lewis on weather, Dr. Kent Benedict on hypothermia, and the Coasties on SAR. Sal Sanchez will demo a liferaft and cover liferaft deployment steps. The cost is $100 for US Sailing members ($5 more for non-members) and $3 to park. To sign up for the seminar, go to norcalorc.org/sas.
A reception for seminar attendees, sponsored by Cal Maritime Foundation, Philip Thompson of Just Marine and BAMA, will follow the seminar from 5-6 p.m. with appetizers, beer and wine. Then GGYC Vice Commodore Tom Ehman will give an America’s Cup update at 6 p.m. in Rizza auditorium. Everyone’s welcome to attend.
The SAS seminar will repeat on May 19 at Cal Maritime, and a SoCal seminar will be held on July 7 at Shoreline YC in Long Beach.
On Saturday, February 23, NorCal ORC is sponsoring an Ocean PRO Meeting at SFYC. Clubs sponsoring ocean races, their principal race officers, and race committee volunteers are encouraged to attend. Free, but RSVP at norcalorc.org/pro/rsvp.