Yachting in its many forms is one of the safest recreational activities and 99% of yachtsmen will never use a life raft, or send a mayday or use a distress flare…

However if you are one of the unlucky few your chances of survival will be greatly increased if you know how to use your safety equipment and how to assist your crew members in the event of an emergency.

The syllabus for my sea survival course was developed from the experiences of yachtsmen during the tragic 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race where 6 yachts were abandoned, 5 boats sank and six lives were lost. Since that time hundreds of experienced sailors, many of whom competed in that and other dramatic events, have participated in my course and their contribution to my syllabus is acknowledged.

I have also drawn on the published experiences of yachtsmen competing in the 1979 Fastnet race where 24 yachts were abandoned, 5 sank, and fifteen lives were lost.

TRAINING IS MANDATORY FOR RACING YACHTSMEN

Personal survival training for offshore racing crew is now mandatory for sailors competing under International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Racing Rules of Sailing category zero, one and two events.

My course meets the requirements of Yachting Australia’s racing rules of sailing 2005-9.

My course meets the sea survival training requirements for all member national authorities of the ISAF.

ESSENTIAL TRAINING FOR THE CRUISING YACHTSMAN

Over sixty percent of participants in my courses are cruising sailors both male and female, who wish to gain confidence in the use of safety equipment, and remove uncertainty from the distress situation.

WHY DO IT?

From the evidence of the survivors of the yacht "Winston Churchill" a competitor in the 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race, and tests conducted by the NSW water police. it is indisputable that trained crew have a greater chance of survival than untrained crew...

Coroner Abernathy - Inquest into the deaths in the 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race

WHAT WILL I LEARN?

• Safety planning and my duty of care
• Emergency planning
• Use and maintenance of personal safety equipment
• Yacht safety and survival equipment
• Practical use of life rafts and flares
• How to survive in the water when overboard
• Global search and rescue structures
• How to use emergency communication equipment
• Helicopter rescue drills
• Methods of being rescued
• Severe weather avoidance and meteorology
• Heavy weather seamanship
• Use of storm equipment
• Damage control
• Fire fighting at sea
• Crew overboard drills
• Dealing with marine medical emergencies.
• Multihull survival strategies

ABOUT THE COURSE

The full course runs for sixteen hours generally over two continuous days, for the best training outcomes.

Courses can be structured to meet your specific needs and include four by four hour evening sessions or two four hour evening sessions and one full day of eight hours.

ABOUT OUR INSTRUCTORS

Training is delivered by qualified instructors with wide experience in offshore sailing including recent experience in severe weather gained in Antarctica.

Our survival instructors are all Cape Horn veterans with recent extensive racing and cruising experience on a wide variety of vessels.

For more information on our instructors read about us.

The course is delivered in a properly equipped training facility with ultra modern training aids supported by CD-Rom and audio visual aids. All students receive comprehensive course notes and relevant publications from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and or the Royal Yachting Association

YOU WILL TRAIN WITH THE LATEST EQUIPMENT INCLUDING

• RFDS Sea Saver Ultimate life rafts
• "Stormy Seas" integrated pfd1 life jackets
• "Stormy Seas" yoke and harness and tethers
• "Henri Lloyd HPX" and "gill" wet weather gear
• "SOLAS" immersion suits
• Regulation helicopter lifting strops
• GMDSS equipment: 406 epirbs and elb’s
• Search and rescue transponders and Sat 'C'
• Water proof hand held VHF’s
• In date SOLAS distress flares
• Hypothermia recovery equipment
• Life raft survival equipment
• Heliograph signalling devices
• Dry powder and CO2 fire extinguishers

WHAT TO BRING TO THE COURSE.

Bring your RYA log book or Yachting Australia’s equivalent if you have one, with your RYA or YA membership number.

Your own wet weather gear including sea boots, life jacket and safety harness and safety tether, and a towel for a dry down after the wet drills.

Sailing gloves and deck shoes for flare drills (no sandals or thongs or open footwear) and a note pad and pen.

Sun protection for outdoor flare drills is recommended.

RYA/MCA AND ISAF ACCREDITED CERTIFICATES ISSUED ON COURSE COMPLETION

Offshore Maritime Training Centre is accredited by the Royal Yachting Association as a member national authority of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) to award this internationally recognised qualification in "personal survival training for offshore racing crew".

VALIDITY

This certificate issued by ISAF/RYA is valid for five years and is recognised by all member national authorities of the International Sailing Federation the world’s peak sailing body.

The ISAF syllabus is contained in ISAF special regulations appendix g sections 6.01 to 6.03 inclusive and can be viewed on their web site at www.isaf.org

This sea survival qualification meets and exceeds the training requirements for international MCA commercially endorsed yachtmasters certificate power and sail.

RACE ORGANISING AUTHORITIES ATTENTION IS DRAWN TO ISAF SPECIAL REGULATION 6.01.2 WHICH STATES

"Except as otherwise provided in the notice of race, an in date certificate gained at an ISAF approved offshore personal survival training course shall be accepted by a race organising authority as evidence of compliance with (Yachting Australia’s) special regulation 6.01

YACHTING AUSTRALIA'S CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCE IN SAFETY AND SEA SURVIVAL

Satisfactory course completion will also result in the issue by Yachting Australia of their certificate of competence on the recommendation of the principal of this centre. They will issue a certificate and endorse your next YA membership card. Your name will appear on the YA website as being qualified.

You will have the benefit of being trained to the higher ISAF standard.

In an ideal world there would be one standard for personal survival training for yachtsmen which is followed by all national yachting authorities.

All instructors have recent heavy weather sailing experience to meet ISAF standards and have undergone update training in global maritime distress and safety systems. All RYA/MCA sea survival schools undergo extensive annual audits

No YA training centres are audited by their own training committee so Yachting Australia’s course content varies nationally.

Successful course completion ensures every student receives dual YA and RYA/MCA and ISAF qualifications.