Mark,

Can you dig up a copy of the form parents must sign to enter their child in the AYC Jr Oly? I am trying to get the one we use at PYC for our festival. Perhaps a comparison of these documents might help our percerptions gain some traction. I'll ask again tonight - made a note - B

So a foster parent falls under this category? Good to know ya'll have checked this out in detail. Despite the head-in-the-sand comments, I feel this has potentially huge ramifications not the least of which would be devastatingly bad press.

Sounds like the rebel-catsailing community is being assimilated....

The foster parent issue is one that is still being worked out at the State level. Apprently our ifidently wise legislators failed to take that into account when they wrote the statute. The letter of the law says, no, foster parents cannot sign.

but back to other topics, I wonder if youth and non-youth should be combined (same course, regatta, etc) if for no other reason than this "reasonable standard of care" is probably different for both groups.

Non-youths may be able to agree to race in conditions or on a course with less support than a similar youth group...?

I just returned home from a Jr Oly planning meeting and must refer to Matt's reminder that US Sailing has created a waiver form that is applicable for sanctioned events featuring youth sailors. Our yacht club has a maritime lawyer that keeps our paper trail in focus. About the only thing we better never do in an NoR or SIs is require competitors to wear a fifty pound weight vest.

The real bottom line is that the PRO better have a quality safety plan in effect so that the competitors will not be shortchanged due to a lack of race track resources. Mark set boats performing rescues are no longer mark set boats>>> Quality angels will aid in decision making.

All well and good when the OA gets it, and is willing/able to supply the resources.

The real problems come when the OA thinks they know more than the class or PRO ("we don't need all these power boats, nothing has ever gone wrong here before")...

Said another way, the saftey plan is a joint responsibility of the OA and RC.

Mike

Yep, and when something blows up just one time, they will get a quick expensive lesson real fast!

Hunter Thompson said you don't know you are on the edge until you've passed it. We have been lucky. Last year our on the water response team prevented three visits to the YC by para - medics. This time of year dehydration is a real enemy along with booms and turtled cats with a crewmember trapped under the boat. Her dad cut her out with a knife.

Racing should be conducted for sailors by sailors.