Port Edgar  Yacht Club

Safety Policy

1. General

Your safety afloat during PEYC events is a prime objective and the following sets out both the Club and your responsibilities & commitments. Safety advice can be found in Coastguard, RNLI & RYA guidelines that PEYC recommends you to read & act upon. The construction & equipment of yachts racing at PEYC must comply with Category 4R of the FYCA Yacht Safety Regulations, available on the FYCA web site at www.fyca.org.uk. For Forth Inshore Group (FIG) races yachts must comply with the higher standard Category 4. All boats must sign in before racing at PEYC so that the Race Officer & Safety Boat crews know which boats are participating.

Remember that we all have a ‘Duty of Care’ for others on the water and that the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) specifically require you to render assistance when necessary. You should, however, keep well clear of Safety Boats attending boats in difficulty, unless you’re asked to help. Safety Boats & Race Officers communicate on VHF channel M1 (37) and may broadcast shipping or weather alerts. Boats with radios should monitor this channel when racing at Port Edgar.

PEYC’s racing area includes the restricted shipping channels to Grangemouth & Rosyth. Ships have right of way, as per the Forth Navigation bylaws, limited room for manoeuvre and often have a very restricted view of the area immediately ahead. It is vital that you keep a sharp lookout, anticipate the 40 deg turn that ships execute between the Beamer & the Forth Rail Bridge and make your intention, to safely cross or go behind, clear to the ship’s master.

2. Dinghy Racing:

Safety Cover: No dinghy race will start until Safety Boat cover is operational & sufficient for the conditions. PEYC will endeavour to meet the RYA guidelines on Safety Boat cover relative to the fleet size, and on the quali-fications of Safety Boat crews. The duty of Safety Boats is to safeguard lives and, in extreme conditions, a dinghy crew in difficulty may have to abandon their boat and come aboard the Safety Boat either to go ashore or to the assistance of another crew. While racing, dinghy crews must wear personal buoyancy.

Weather Limits: Racing will normally be started in wind strengths up to 20-25 Kt., depending on conditions of tide strength, wave height & gust strength, at the discretion of the Race Officer. The Race Officer & Safety Boat personnel may advise less experienced competitors not to race in difficult conditions.

Abandonment: The Race Officer may stop or abandon racing if conditions deteriorate or anything occurs that significantly reduces safety cover for the remainder of the fleet.

Visibility: All dinghy racing is scheduled to finish by nautical sunset but if dinghies are returning after sun-set, or are caught in severely reduced visibility, they must remain well clear of the shipping lanes. The Safety Boats, showing navigation lights & equipped with VHF, will act as escorts back to Port Edgar.

Post Race Cover: The Safety Boats will monitor boats directly back to Port Edgar once a race is complete. Skippers are advised that the club cannot accept responsibility for providing safety cover should they chose to remain out after that time.

3. Dinghy Cruising:

PEYC will provide adequate Safety Boat cover for club cruises and the same general approach as outlined above will apply, with a pre-cruise briefing on safety arrangements, weather conditions, forecast, equipment, etc.

4. Yacht Racing:

General: It is a yacht skipper’s responsibility to ensure that his boat & crew are adequately equipped & pre-pared to participate in the sailing conditions. In particular, yachts racing at PEYC must carry personal buoyancy for all crew members. Owners should note the FYCA Yacht Safety Regulations referred to in the introduction & ensure that they meet the appropriate category requirements for construction & equipment standards.

Night Racing: For Night Racing at PEYC there are mandatory rules in the Sailing Instructions on wearing lifejackets complying with EN396, navigation lights & informing the Race Officer on retiring.

Weather Limits: Racing will normally be started in wind strengths up to 35-40 Kt., depending on conditions of tide strength, wave height & gust strength, at the discretion of the race officer.

Abandonment: On the basis of self-sufficiency, yacht racing will not normally be abandoned after starting unless a major incident occurs.

Jim Scott - Sailing Secretary