Safety Duty

  • SAFETY CREW

    • Meet Race officer at TSC/Royal Quays on race day
    • Stand by as fleet launches
    • Ensure fleet keeps clear of commercial shipping. It is important to ensure boats do not impede ships on the fairway, which have very long stopping distances. The safety boat should display flag F (red diamond on white rectangle) to inform approaching dinghies that they must keep clear of the fairway and pass behind any approaching ship well before it might need to take avoiding action.
    • Accompany fleet to and from race area and provide cover during racing.

  • After the racing has finished please be ready to offer tows home and please remain afloat until all competitors are safely on the beach

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    REMEMBER – PEOPLE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN BOATS

  • Following an incident where a rib went aground, these were the key recommendations:
  • Always secure both mooring lines (and the towing warps) immediately on leaving the lock at Royal Quays.
  • If the engine stops the first action is normally always to drop the anchor.
  • If washed into shallow water (rocks or sand) lift the engine.
  • Avoid coming into The Haven unless required for an actual rescue.
  • When conditions are such that sailing may be cancelled safety boat crews should pre-plan contact with the club (or SSSC) to confirm if they are required or not.
  • When large seas are running keep a long way upwind / upsea of the lee shore.

Other points to bear in mind about racing:

  • Racing outside of the harbour walls will take place in either the north or south bay at all times well away from the commercial traffic channel.
  • At least one safety boat and crew will accompany all dinghy sailing and when racing, a committee boat will be in attendance.
  • All safety and committee boats will be in radio communication on channel 37. The call sign for the committee boat is TANGO 1.

Daphne’ the larger rib benefits from a built in vhf radio. Only if you are using ‘Doris’, the small rib, will you need to collect a TSC ‘hand-held’ vhf from the clubhouse.

Channel 12 for Port of Tyne, and Ch ‘M’ (or Ch.37a) for race control & safety boats. Its worth doing a radio check with the Committee Boat as soon as you are in the estuary.

Please aim to be afloat & in the race area half an hour before racing is due to start. If the wind is light, or if a northerly wind creates difficulty exiting the Haven, please be ready to offer tows.

Please check the Port of Tyne website (Shipping Movements) on Sunday morning by using this link to retrieve up to date information.

If youve collected the rib form the beach, please return it there (ie collect & return the boat to the same place).