EMERGENCY ACTION CARDS

To view or download the Emergency Action Card for each of our regatta venues, click the following links:

GREEN FLEET SKILLS EXPECTATIONS

While the WMYSA eagerly welcomes beginner sailors to compete in the Optimist Green Fleet at its regattas, it is expected that these beginner sailors come to the event already capable of navigating the race course. This means that they need to have already proven (prior to coming to a regatta) their ability to tack, gybe and maneuver their boat in a desired direction. When Green Fleet sailors have not yet adequately mastered these basic skills, they are more likely to experience frustration, they are more likely to require more than their fair share of attention from the coaches, and they are more likely to cause undesirable delays during the races. Please make sure your beginner sailors are properly prepared for competition. It is better for a very inexperienced sailor to practice a bit more “at home” than for them to be placed on the race course prematurely. The overall safety of all sailors will be better served and the sailing experience for everyone, including beginner sailors, will be better as a result.

EQUIPMENT EXPECTATIONS

It is expected that every boat that is sailed at a WMYSA regatta be properly equipped according to its design. This means that all parts of the boat must be properly installed and fully operational. Centerboards and rudders must be securely attached to the boat as may be specified by the original design. All Optimist boats must be equipped with proper flotation, bailers secured to the boat with a string or bungee cord, and a “painter” or towing line must be properly rigged to the front of the boat. While the WMYSA Sailing Instructions do not include a mandatory safety inspection of each boat, this type of inspection is often required at regattas outside the WMYSA. Hence, it is simply good practice for sailing programs, coaches and sailors to properly equip, maintain and rig their boats every time they go sailing.

SAFE-SPORT CERTIFICATION

Safe-Sport Certification is now required for all Certified sailing instructors, coaches and race officials and may be required for other Junior Program administrators who are in regular contact with students. To learn more about Safe-Sport Certification, including how to fulfill the required training, please click the following link. This training is free for US Sailing members: https://www.ussailing.org/competition/resources/safesport-us-sailing/

CONCUSSION AWARENESS AND TRAINING

The State of Michigan requires that all sailors have a signed Concussion Awareness Form on file with their sailing club, junior program or sailing team. If the participant is not of legal adult age, this form must be signed by the participant’s parent or legal guardian. This process and these forms are handled at a local level by each WMYSA member club.

If you wish to learn more about Concussions or need to obtain a copy of the Concussion Awareness Form, click the links below.

Additionally, all coaches, instructors and others who are in regular contact with athletes are required to complete Concussion Training. For more concussion information for coaches or to learn more about concussion training, click the following links: https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/youthsports/training/index.html

If it is determined that a sailor may have experienced a concussion injury, the following form must be completed and signed by a licensed medical professional before the sailor can return to competition.

JUNIOR SAFETY AT SEA

Several offshore regattas such as the Chicago-to-Mac Race now require that all youth sailor participants complete Safety-At-Sea training. For more information about these programs, click the following link: https://www.ussailing.org/education/youth/junior-safety-at-sea/

MORE RESOURCES FOR JUNIOR PROGRAMS, SAILORS & SPECTATORS

The Emergency Action Cards available at the top of this page have been developed using the guidelines listed on the document below. This document also provides helpful tips concerning how to implement and execute emergency action plans. Please feel free to share this document as these tips are a valuable resource for sailors, program staff, parents and spectators.

A template for creating a Junior Sailing Program Safety Manual can be obtained from US Sailing. To preview an excerpt from this document and to learn more about how to obtain a full copy of it, please view or download the following file:

Guidelines for Dock Safety are also available from US Sailing. Click the link below to view or download a copy of these guidelines.

The article at the link below provides excellent guidance on how to prepare, practice and execute emergency action plans. It includes a lot of very wise advice about both how and what information should and should not be communicated during an emergency. https://www.windcheckmagazine.com/article/emergency-action-plans-for-sailing-organizations-six-tips-to-optimize-your-plan-and-response/

Gowrie Insurance has a web site loaded with information, templates and other useful information for yacht club safety programs. Click HERE to view all these resources.

The National Safe Boating Council offers several safety training courses as well as lots of helpful information and resources that can easily be downloaded from their web site at https://www.safeboatingcouncil.org/downloadable-resources

US Sailing has conducted several independent reviews of sailing accidents. Most of these reviews came at the request of the U.S. Coast Guard. These reviews conducted by panelists assembled from US Sailing’s Safety at Sea Committee have improved safety guidelines for racing, communication between sailors and race organizers, and training for race officials. Click HERE to view these reports.