John

Following your experience this past weekend with the lasers.

Any idea what an effective work around we need to include in the SI's to deal with coast guard approved life jackets and CG throwable requirements in the USSA Prescriptions. ( I always forget about those buggers).

Is the best way an SI instruction that the violations of this rule are not subject to competitor protest.

Thanks Mark

I knew this day was coming. Having been sponsored by a small life jacket manufacturing company out of NC and knowing some others, the US Coast Guard approval process is prohibitive and incredibly expensive. Even a color change of the fabric requires a whole new approval filing. CE (Central European) approval is much easier to obtain and so a lot of life jacket manufacturers have been working under this approval. US Sailing's racing rules specify USCG approval and I'm nearly certain that the USCG requires this of boaters using US waterways. It's a tricky situation.

It get's worse

The prescriptions say that you can't waive rule 40. So the old workaound of the competitor can't protest this rule is out unless you want to shift responsibility to the regatta PRO who gets to decide that he doesn't want to enforce coast guard approval.

I we do away with US Sailing, then we are free to govern ourselves as we please. I say we go sail without rules, rights, or restrictions! All's fair in Love and Sailing!
On a serious note, can SI's dictate rules in the US without using the RRS? How hard would that be to run a race, and what are our options?
Do other countries sail byu the RRS prescriptions, or is that a US thing?

every country has prescriptions... Ours are set by USSA.

The coast guard thing is a federal law... Who wants to step forward and say... I will officially tell you to ignore that fed law?

Very different then a personal decision to play " catch me if you can"

Now i haven't had a thowable class III preserver on the boat for buoy racing or fun in 15 years.... but it bothers me to reailize i have been breaking the RR of the game.

How do you go about ignoring one rule... (wear coast guard jacket) and not the other... sail around A mark and don't touch it.

Oh... I know the solution..... Do away with all mention of life jackets and CG approved standards in the RR, prescriptions and SI's AND LEAVE IT UP TO THE Captain!

Is a PFD and a life jacket the same thing? In norwegian it is not, a life jacket is supposed to keep your head over water at all times while a PFD just helps your buoyancy. A PFD is what is required in the events I have competed here at home. Never thought about the distinction when travelling abroad (whoops!).
I suppose if an event organizer dont run the event under the RRS, they could have insurance issues? All the events I have raced in have been under the RRS.
Personally think the SI should say that a CE approved or better PFD should be worn at all times, and leave it at that.


Not that long since I got some pics from an US high level event where one of the top dogs had modified their PFDs. Handstitching was really obvious. According to what Jake wrote, they could have been protested for it, but nobody knows if they would be dsq.

There was just an article on the front page of SA regarding a junior regatta. A protest was filed against a competitor for not wearing a USCG approved lifevest. The protest was not upheld. What kind of message does that send?

Rolf

The prescriptions to the rules are added to the RRS and are national. I think the RRS define the pfd just as you do. The problem here is that most prescriptions cannot be waived by the OA even if they wanted to.

The last one was for the absolute requirement for membership in a national authority eg USSA was one of those prescriptions that would not have been able to be waived...

You make a good point about the Tornado's that were removing flotation from their PFD's. Who should be responsible here?

Karl - you don't quite have the facts right. The protest was upheld and the penalty was a written warning. While I have seen many people in catsailing with less-than-USCG kit, apparently it is a rampant problem in the Laser class. This was the very first protest on the issue, I believe. I think the warning will be effective in getting the word out, and I think you will see discussion of making the rule fit reality better.

I hate to bring up manufacture names, but I believe the PFD in question is the Zhik. THis is a really nice piece. Can anyone chime in as to whether or not there are steps being taken to get this PFD USCG certified?

John,

What time is it?

(your avatar)

It's not just the Lasers where it's creeping in.

There were several teams at the H-16 North Americans with the non-USCG approved Zhik PFDs. They were lucky that nobody protested, especially since the IHCA rules require "Each person on board shall carry a lifesaving device or Personal Flotation Device (PFD) approved by their country’s national authority or by the national authority having jurisdiction."

For races in the US, that's the USCG.

Nice definition.

How many people here carry a throwable as well as their own pfd's? Thats probably the one thing I am missing on my boat.

Here you go:



US Tornado Nats '07. More than one team were doing this. I think it's a Zhik PFD.

The best solution I've heard is to play by the rules...PFD makers will see sales drop off in USA, respond by following up on USCG approval...and all will be well again.
The makers currently realize they don't need USCG approval to make sales in the USA...hence the problem.

So Matt

How does Hobie HCA get around the throwable requirement of the US Coast Guard?

I was not going to mention the who/where/when

That is not a Zhik PFD in the picture. Zhik PFD's are solid black, solid grey, or solid red. They are not grey with black side panels.

Second of all, it's not as easy as just applying for USCG approval.

My latest quote from USCG is that it would cost between $150,000 and $225,000 to APPLY for the approval process. I would have to sell a ton of PFD's to recoup that cost. On top of that, if we make any changes whatsoever, the process and fees have to be repeated.

The rest of the world is attempting to define an ISO standard that would make the PFD's legal in all countries, meanwhile the USCG is actively resisting this movement.

We're not trying to make a lightweight "cheater" PFD. They meet the flotation and durability standards of all the other countries, ie CE Approval.

They don't. If your boat is over 16' long and you don't carry a throwable, then you are subject to protest. Since nobody carries throwables, nobody protests.

So if you show up to an event, and someone has a throwable tied to their boat - you'd better look out.