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Communicating effectively in the lead-up to and during regattas is a critical part of running safe events this summer.
That was the key message from Yachting New Zealand's national sport development director Raynor Haagh to keelboat clubs and classes during an online safety forum on Tuesday night.
Haagh led the forum, which was aimed at supporting sailing committees to guide safe practices during long races and nurture a safety culture within clubs.
"A big focus was on the importance of clear and effective communication before and during events and identifying the different means of communication - from briefings before events to monitoring all correct channels during racing," Haagh said.
The discussion included presentations from two of the industry’s most seasoned race officials – Ian Clouston and Jon Henry – as well as former Royal New Zealand Navy Commander John Butcher.
During the forum, Clouston, an experienced international race officer, shared information about lessons learned during a serious safety incident earlier this year.
The presentation also highlighted ways of reporting incidents to Maritime NZ as well as changes around communicating with boat owners, incident management, and race-course communication.
Henry, a veteran race officer for the Shorthanded Sailing Association of New Zealand (SSANZ), shared valuable insights into how the race committees prepare for big keelboat events like the Round North Island race.
A key focus for Henry is on the clear roles and responsibilities of the event team, communicating with competitors through official and unofficial documents, and putting in place sound safety plans and practices.
Butcher, who is also a Yachting New Zealand board member and a former commodore of the Gulf Harbour Yacht Club, offered several useful ideas on how clubs can encourage a safety culture with their member boat owners and crews.
Yachting New Zealand national sport development director Raynor Haagh.
"With the new sailing season upon us, it was a valuable opportunity to check that clubs have their safety systems in place and a reminder to review their safety plans," Haagh said.
"Hopefully, they were able to take a few ideas from the forum to implement at their clubs this season."
The forum coincides with Maritime New Zealand's nationwide Safer Boating Week, an initiative aimed at promoting recreational boating safety in the country through a network of national and regional government agencies, local body groups, organisations, and the marine industry.
According to Maritime NZ’s 2022 Recreational Fatal Accidents report, 17 people died or were reported missing and never found in water-related incidents last year.
While the majority of these incidents aren't club sailing related, Haagh said many of the key safety messages were still relevant to our wider yachting and boating community.
"Checking the weather before you go out on the water, having at least two forms of communication at all times, and wearing a properly fitting personal flotation device where appropriate are all things we should be doing but, sadly, many still don't."
For the complete Yachting New Zealand Safety Forum presentation, click here.
For more information on Safer Boating Week, click here.
