SAFETY is paramount on the water and just as much during Club racing on Southampton Water or in the Solent as on passage sailing.
It's crucial therefore that race management officers manning the Club's Committee boat, the Hound, or the club RIB, are fully competent in handling emergency situations.
So the first of two risk assessment training programmes held earlier in the year were designed to ensure race officers involved in Club racing are fully versed with safety procedures.
Course organiser, Rob Lamb said: "Inclement weather is not infrequently encountered during racing events when the committee boats, will as far as possible, carry out their scheduled activities. But there is always a risk that an emegrency will occur either to the committee boat itself or to competing boats.
"It is important that members involved in such activity are well versed in the procedures that may be necessary during an emergency at such events.''
The programme included instruction and training in handling man overboard situations, fire-fighting and first aid for burns and the correct use of flares.
Instructors were Gordon Agnew and Richard Haynes.
The next course is to be held on November 3.
