Organised by the Island Sailing Club Please read these notes about SAFETY THIS AFFECTS YOU J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race Tel: 01983 296621 Fax: 01983 293214 Safety Booklet Email: [email protected] Web: www.roundtheisland.org.uk Saturday 25 June 2011 ROUND THE ISLAND RACE is a registered trademark of the Island Sailing Club FIG 1 : PRECAUTIONARY AREA No.3 of 2011 J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT Coronation Hook ROUND THE ISLAND RACE SAFETY SUPPLEMENT Black Jack Reach Yacht racing is an inherently dangerous sport. A mass yacht race must be more so. Precautionary Area Many thousands of people take part in the ‘Round The Island Race’ because of its special 2 atmosphere. It is an enjoyable day out in company with a great many like minded competitive 0 1000m 0 m Castle Point people. We want everyone to have a good but safe race. A great deal of thought has been put into safety aspects of the structure of the race, but 250 0 250 500 750 1000 1250 1500 1750 2000 ultimately, safety depends on you. Metres ! Calshot This booklet will draw your attention to some of the dangers which you must be aware of Calshot Spit Moving Prohibited Zone (MPZ) and some of the Sailing Instructions which you must comply with to make this a safe race for Mariners are advised that under normal circumstances, everybody. there will not be more than one vessel over 220 metres in length navigating in the Precautionary Area at any The last section deals with what to do if you are in trouble or see someone else in trouble. one time (Inbound OR Outbound). East Knoll Smaller vessels, of less than 180 metres in length, may N.Thorn be encountered travelling in both directions at any PRE START one time, and they may also be encountered in quick Bourne Gap succession, travelling in either direction. Please make sure that, for safety reasons, you have given the Island Sailing Club your Shorewatch details. This should be the telephone number of someone who will not be sailing on the boat who can be easily contacted in the unlikely event of an accident or medical issue Thorn Knoll for someone on your boat. West Knoll Bramble Pile Before the Race, check all your safety equipment and ensure you comply with the ISAF Crossing Solent Commercial Vessels O shore Special Regulations governing minimum equipment and accommodation standards West Bramble for a Category 4 race. Should you not know what these are, you are advised to obtain a copy of N.E. Gurnard the special regulations from the ISAF website: www.sailing.org or by post from: ISAF (UK) Ltd. ! S. Bramble Ariadne House, Town Quay, Southampton SO14 2AQ. Precautionary Area The regulations are also reprinted in the Solent Book, obtainable from most chandlers. Lepe Spit Ref: Port of Southampton Byelaw No.11 - 2003 Day boats have separate safety requirements de ned in the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions. F E lo bb o T d ide T id e Prince Consort THE START The starting line lies right across the deep water navigation channel and turning area for Crossing Solent Gurnard Commercial Vessels commercial vessels approaching or leaving the Port of Southampton. The Harbour Master has East Lepe the statutory responsibility for the safety of navigation of all vessels. Typical tracks of large commercial vessels No.1 No.2 NOTE: These vessels may be encountered anywhere within the precautionary area. Large commercial vessels, and container ships, have to use this channel. Many of these vessels, No.4 with a limited underkeel clearance, are constrained by their draft. They have to maintain their course and speed for adequate steerage way and often have restricted visibility ahead. FIG 2 : START / FINISH LINES AND WAITING AREAS Whilst navigating this channel between Prince Consort buoy o Cowes, round the Bramble Calshot Bank to Black Jack and Reach buoys North of Calshot, all vessels over 150m length overall are given a “Moving Prohibited Zone” around them of 1,000m ahead and 100m either side. Yachts and small vessels are prohibited from entering this moving zone (see FIG 1). Waiting Areas (see FIG 2) are established to the North of the South Bramble buoy and South of Prince Consort buoy, to keep yachts that are waiting to start clear of the main navigable channel. East Knoll North Thorn It is vitally important that you keep within one of the waiting areas until your own l Bourne Gap e n warning (ten minute) signal. If you fail to keep well clear of the starting line then you may n a h C be disquali ed without a hearing. rn o h T If a large commercial vessel is about to pass through the starting area, all participating yachts 0 will be instructed to proceed to the waiting area, using engines if necessary to clear the channel Thorn Knoll Bramble West Knoll Bank quickly. The Harbour Master in a designated patrol launch and Island Sailing Club Marshals in in atable craft will be on hand to direct yachts out of the way. If you are instructed to proceed to Bramble Beacon a waiting area either by radio or by the Harbour Master or a Marshal, you must go directly there. West NORTH The Race Committee has the authority to disqualify you without a hearing and the Harbour Bramble WAITING AREA Air Canada Master may prosecute if you disregard his instructions. Williams Shipping ODM Car ferries and high speed passenger craft crossing between Cowes and Southampton will be recommended by the Southampton Harbour Master to route their vessels to the East of the 1 6 9 Bramble Bank and clear of the waiting area during the starting period. Please look out for them South Bramble ˚ and give them room, particularly in the fairway or harbour entrance at Cowes. k c M Tra a rry i e Maintenance of control is the secret of a smooth safe start in a mass yacht race. The Race O cers n l F S S ne t n h a Fu need your co-operation. Listen out for instructions on the VHF radio Channel 37A (M) (or VHF ip r d t e p i R in n ed Channel 72 for foreign competitors) on which you can also listen to the advisory count down g g rt e Ch L iv i D a n for each start. Please operate on low power unless in distress. nn el e T r C A little patience and sporting unsel shness are required to get so many yachts o to a good a Prince Consort Main Shipping Channel ns o w i e clean start. There are at least 50 nautical miles to go. t s F a SOUTH North Finish i r w WAITING Gurnard a AREA No anchors over the bow y Snowden If your yacht has a tted stowage for the anchor where it protrudes over the bow or over the side, No.1 No.2 Seafarers Ale 0 South Finish 0 it must be restowed elsewhere. There are inevitably some close quarters situations sometimes Protest 0 Egypt Point 0 leading to collisions and it is highly dangerous to have a ‘can opener’ mounted on your bow in RYS Moorings 0 0 CCC Regatta Centre these situations. You will be disquali ed without a hearing if spotted. No.4 Old Castle ISC Point Outboard motors over the stern Cowes No.6 WEST COWES Yacht Haven EAST COWES Outboard Motors which are carried over the stern should be stowed in such a way that they do not create a hazard to other yachts in a close quarters situation. Trimarans with xed outboard motors may leave them in place. THE WEST SOLENT FIG 4 : THE VARVASSI WRECK AT THE NEEDLES Once clear of the start, this can be an exhilarating leg of the course, with often a good beat down to the Needles. This is where you overtake and are overtaken. It is also where most of the collisions occur. If it is your obligation under the racing rules to keep clear of another yacht, make your intentions GOOSE ROCK known early before there is a risk of collision. Holding on, or pressing your advantage too far, often leads to retirement with damage or gear failure, and almost certainly to a protest. It is often best to give way to boats which are not under good control. As Thucydides said, “a collision at sea can ruin your entire day!” BOILERS LIGHTHOUSE As you approach Yarmouth (or Lymington if you are on the mainland shore) you should be aware of the car ferries entering and leaving the harbour/river and avoid the moorings west of ENGINE Yarmouth Harbour (see SI 8.3.1) A number of new Dive Sites have recently been marked with small yellow buoys in the Western PROPELLOR SHAFT AND STERN TUBE Solent. Keeping a sharp lookout here is essential, especially if Alpha ag is displayed on a dive boat which denotes they have divers down. Just to the north west of the lighthouse lies Goose Rock, which also dries at chart datum and THE NEEDLES presents a hazard to those who try to cut inside between the lighthouse and the Varvassi’s The mark is the Needles Lighthouse, but there is a shallow rock ledge, which extends boilers. Even if the major hazards are avoided, the inshore passage is too shallow for larger approximately 250 metres to the West South West of it. The principal danger comes from some boats.