Ive heard that to compete from Jan 06 in Australia competitors must comply with the new trapeze harness regulations. These state that a trapeze harness shall have a device capable of releasing the competitor from the boat at all times. This new rule is to come into force because of recent fatalities caused by sailors getting tangled up in rigging and getting pulled under water.

Now occasionally I take my six year old boy on my boat for a blast around the harbour. Now I find myself considering his safety in an event of a serious capsize. The fears I have are I get knocked off the boat and he sails off into the yonder or that he gets trapped under the boat after a pitch pole and I find myself to far away to help. I guess its natural for parents to fear the worst and protect their kids. But now I find myself reconsidering the implications of taking him out on the boat at all.

I guess in every sport there is an element of risk versa reward and you need to find a balance between the two. But in your experience how dangerous is this sport, have you ever been trapped under the boat by rigging or found yourself stuck in the sea waiting for someone to pick you up?