1 INTRODUCTION

The present document describes the policy implemented by the committee of the ESTEC Sailing Club (ESC) and by the SSCC regarding health and safety aspects of club members.

Sailing is potentially a dangerous activity since it combines sports with nature experience. However, when safety procedures are implemented, this activity can be enjoyed with negligible risk, comparable to for instance skiing. There have been no serious incidents during the history of the ESC.

2 DESCRIPTION OF RISKS

2.1 Sports injury

Sailing can be a physically demanding activity in potentially a disorientating and dangerous environment.

1. The impact of parts protruding from the hull, such as cleats, rings and winches, can give bruises when bumped into.
2. Pulling ropes under high load can give injuries to muscles or joints.
3. A lack of control over the boat can cause unintentional gybing with the risk of the boom of the main sail hitting the head when it swings across the boat.

2.2 Exposure to environment

Sailing occurs on water and the sailor is exposed to the nature environment.

1. Lack of control over the boat and lack of safety awareness can cause a sailor to be separated from their boat with the risk of hypothermia, fatigue and drowning.
2. Exposure to wind, water and cold temperatures can cause freezing of body parts (fingers, face) and hypothermia.
3. Yachting can cause seasickness and fatigue.

2.3 Use of equipment

1. Outboard engines need to be operated and maintained with care. The wrong use of fuel on a faulty engine or the wrong use of a faulty battery may inhibit a risk of fire or electrocution.
2. The club owns various tools and power tools which need to be handled with common sense and operated with focus on the activity for which the tools are intended.
3. Trailers are available for transport of boats. No specific driver’s license is required, but the driver should reduce speed to guarantee road safety and boat hull integrity.
4. Some maintenance work is conducted during the winter and may require use of chemicals, such as paints, solvents and epoxy resins.

3 MITIGATION OF RISKS

3.1 Information to club members

1. Sailors have a high awareness of safety and of own responsibility for performing their activities. The present policy underlines the already existing awareness and specifies the instructions provided to beginners and newcomers.
2. The present safety protocol is provided to all club members.
3. The present document includes a waiver in §4 specifying that club members cannot hold the club, its committees, the SSCC or ESA responsible for personal injury or damage to property.

3.2 Training of beginners

1. Beginners receive a document describing various clothing styles depending on the type of sailing they wish to learn. Dinghy sailors are recommended to wear wetsuits. Keel boat sailors are recommended to wear waterproof and wind tight clothes. Clothing protects against the weather, the water and against minor impacts. The use of a helmet is not specifically recommended for the type of sailing performed in our club.
2. Beginners receive a document providing information on weather forecast and interpretation of wind strength.
3. Beginners are instructed to reduce sail area (reef) depending on wind strength.
4. Beginners are taught that the responsible person on board (helmsman, skipper, trainer) as well as the crew shall use own judgment and common sense in deciding to go out and sail. This depends on prevailing wind strength and gusts, air and water temperature, conditions of crew and boat and type of event (racing, training or cruising).
5. Beginners receive training to recover a capsized dinghy under supervision of experienced club members.
6. Beginners receive training on the man-over-board manoeuvre.
7. Beginners receive a safety briefing as part of the course (such as instructions to stay with the boat at all times even when capsized, instruction to return to the club house before fatigue or cold body parts prevents adequate boat handling).
8. Beginners provide a statement on their ability to swim upon registration to the course.

3.3 Power boat

1. The club owns one power boat. This boat is commonly named “safety boat”, however, “committee boat” would be a more appropriate description. This is because the power boat cannot be relied upon for recovery of a capsized boat. Intervention of the power boat and assistance to recover from a capsize or towing a partly capsized boat back to shore, requires skilful boat handling by an experienced driver. Therefore it is considered that the principal function of the power boat is to provide supervision and in case of an emergency to recover a person in the water that separated from his sailboat.
2. The power boat is used during Monday evening races organised by the club. The power boat is used during the trainings that are part of the beginner’s course. The power boat may be used for other club activities. However, the presence of the power boat is in no circumstance a prerequisite for any activity from the club or from individual members.
3. Power boat drivers are required by Dutch law to have a Dutch Vaarbewijs or an International Certificate of Competence.
4. Power boat drivers shall wear a buoyancy aid.
5. Power boat drivers are recommended to wear the “kill cord” that interrupts the engine when the driver becomes separated from the boat controls.

3.4 Club activities

The club organises many activities by using the own club boats on the lake Braassemermeer or by chartering keel boats or yachts in the Netherlands or abroad. These activities include club Sundays, race trainings, match racing, cruises in yachts or keelboats and major regattas in yachts. From the nature of these events, it is obvious that sailors participate on their own responsibility. The following two club activities have a very high involvement of club committees and volunteers and are therefore specified here separately.

1. The club organises about 12 Monday evening races throughout the summer season. The races are organised by a race committee that is composed of two or three experienced club members. The club organises briefings to race committee members. The club issues racing rules that specify the range of wind strength in which a race can take place. Race committee members are instructed to advice inexperienced participants if conditions require this. The race committee organises and supervises the race from the power boat.
2. The club organises a beginner’s course throughout the start of the season. Experienced club members volunteer as trainers and join the beginners on-board during their first lessons. When beginners can handle the boat, they are allowed alone on-board in lighter wind while still being supervised and instructed form the power boat.

3.5 Insurances

1. The fleet of the club is insured for damage and for third-party liability.
2. Club members are (hereby) recommended to have their own third-party liability and are required to have health insurance, as mandatory by Dutch law.
3. Skippers participating to major yachting events such as ESA Cup regatta or cruises abroad are (hereby) recommended to have their own skippers liability insurance, as available from European Insurance Services EIS or Yacht-Pool.
4. Privately owned boats participating to club events are required to have their own insurance including third-party liability.

3.6 Club house

The club house is the base for sailing activities on the lake Braassemermeer and includes basic safety provisions.

1. Logbooks are available for all boats. The skipper shall enter in the logbook when a boat is taken out. Upon return the skipper shall sign out in the logbook.
2. A first aid kit is available.
3. A fire extinguisher is available.
4. A list of emergency phone numbers of key club members and of national safety services is available.
5. The services of electricity, water and others are the responsibility of the harbour master, who rents the club house to the ESC.

3.7 Life vests, buoyancy aids

1. The club provides buoyancy aids with a flotation of 50 N to club members. These are stored in the club house.
2. The use of buoyancy aids is mandatory when using club boats.

3.8 Check ride for newcomers

Newcomers to the club who can already sail, do not need to take the beginner’s course. Instead they perform a check ride with safety briefing.

1. The ESC committee has a focal point to handle requests from newcomers that can sail and that wish to apply for club membership.
2. Newcomers are requested to provide by email a resume specifying their sailing experience. They should also indicate which type of club boats they wish to use.
3. The focal point organises a check ride at the lake on the selected boat type. This is done by the focal point or by another experienced club member.
4. The check ride includes a basic safety briefing (as specified in the present policy) and instructions on how to use the boats and the club house.

4 WAIVER

Through payment of the annual club fee, the club member acknowledges the following:

1. The present health and safety policy has been read and the potential risks associated with sailing are understood.
2. The insurance coverage is implemented where this specified to be mandatory in §3.5.
3. The ability to swim is herewith confirmed.
4. It is acknowledged that it is a common responsibility of club members to maintain the fleet in a good shape. It is therefore the responsibility of the sailor to use a boat and to verify that its condition is adequate. The club cannot be held responsible for any malfunctioning.
5. It is acknowledged that it is in all cases the own responsibility of the participant to a club event to use own judgment and common sense in deciding to go out and sail depending on prevailing wind strength, weather, conditions of crew and boat and type of event (racing, training or cruising).
6. It is acknowledged that the club, its committees, the SSCC or ESA cannot be held responsible for personal injury or damage to property.