Covid 19

Sailing arrangements under Covid 19 (subject to change)

Your Committee are looking forward to welcoming you all back to the Club for the start of the 2020-2021 season on 11 October. Our priority is to provide you with a safe environment in which to sail and we will be following the legal requirements, guidance from the Government and the RYA and most importantly applying common sense. Under the circumstances surrounding the Covid-19 Pandemic, various restrictions will apply:
1. It is for helmsman and their crews to decide whether, or not, to sail and to keep safe. The club can only offer guidance and provide the facilities within the law to enable you to race.
2. On arrival at the club you will be asked for your name and telephone number. These have to be recorded for Track and Trace. If you have a smartphone you should also check in using the NHS app by scanning the QR code which will be displayed in various places around the Club.
3. A hand sanitizer will be provided for you to use on arrival and departure.
4. Social distancing of two metres should be maintained wherever possible.
5. The two metre distancing rules do not apply to helms and crews from the same household. However, where you have made the decision to sail with someone from a different household then, following RYA Guidance, you are permitted to sail together provided you both take sensible steps in order to reduce the possibility of transmitting the virus between you. Wearing facemasks, avoiding face to face contact, avoiding unnecessary shouting, keeping one metre apart etc.
6. Try to arrive early to enable everyone to prepare their boats whilst maintaining social distancing. This may take more time. Launching of boats should be achieved using the helm and crew for your
particular boat. A “beach master” will be available wearing gloves to deal with your trolley. If others are needed for assistance then everyone involved in the launching should hand sanitise, wear a facemask and observe social distancing as far as possible.
7. Retrieval of boats after racing will follow the same lines. Prior to and after retrieving each boat everyone should hand sanitise.
8. Racing will take place at times specified and the races will likely be a little shorter than normal and will be operated back to back as we cannot assemble inside or outside the in groups exceeding six people.
9. The toilets will be open but only one person should be in the changing room at any one time. Use of the changing rooms is only permitted if essential. Paper towels will be provided and a bin for their disposal. Hand sanitisers should be used on entry and exit. Do your best to arrive ready to sail so change into boots and waterproofs, if necessary, in the car park.
We will operate the Race Officer’s box single handed with no flags, just sound signals and the PA system. There will be two races sailed back to back.
10. Only one safety boat will be used, a second boat will be on standby.
11. Sailing will not take place in conditions likely to give rise to a capsize, in order to reduce the risk of safety attendance being needed and the consequent risk of spreading the disease.
12. The priority, at all times, is to stay safe, use your common sense and enjoy your sailing!

Safety Boat Procedures regarding COVID-19

• Safety boat crewing in order of preference:
  • Two people from the same household.
  • One person only.
  • If two crew from different households are needed, then mitigation measures should be in place – maintain distancing of >1m and/or use face coverings.

• Prepare second safety boat to be on standby by clubhouse and consider having a standby safety boat crew if possible. This may be needed in case of breakdown of the primary safety boat or if additional support needed on the water in case of a lengthy rescue being undertaken.

• Each safety boat should have a COVID grab bag, containing PPE (face shield / goggles, disposable face masks, disposable gloves, hand sanitiser, plastic bags, paper towels).

• Attending a rescue:

• No imminent danger (eg boat in difficulty, minor collision) – standby the casualty ready to provide physical support if needed; if a tow is required, do so astern rather than alongside.
• Imminent danger (eg capsized boat needing outside assistance to recover, casualty in the water unable to self-recover) – put on face covering; help casualty to self-rescue of possible (eg using ladder); minimise face-to-face contact.
• When casualty is on the safety boat – where possible maintain distancing >1m and/or provide casualty with disposable mask.
• After rescue – Any equipment used or in contact with casualty to be suitably sanitised (sprayed, quarantined, bagged for later cleaning). This includes the boat itself and the safety boat crews waterproofs/clothes.

• At the end of safety boat duty – safety boat and all of its equipment to be suitably sanitised (sprayed or quarantined). Crew to immediately wash hands for 20s or, if not possible, use hand sanitiser.

Officer of the Day Guidelines under Covid – to be read by ALL racing members.

Only one person, the Officer of the Day (OOD), should be in the Box at any one time except when someone from the same household or “Bubble” is able to assist.

Thus, if the OOD is alone, race members should be considerate and sympathetic to any shortcomings. Also, members must respect the OOD’s decision on race matters. 

The OOD should take careful note of the weather conditions. If the wind is too strong, or gusty, they should consider whether any less confident helms should be asked NOT to sail. If the weather conditions are really bad the RACE should be ABANDONED, prior to start, or shortened if it deteriorates after the race has commenced.

Do confer with others about such a decision; Pat (Sailing Sec), Danny (House Committee), Stephen (Commodore) or David Y. (Vice Commodore).

Aim to minimize risk and the likelihood the safety boat will be required to attend boats in difficulty. If possible, use just one safety boat but ensure a 2^nd safety boat is on standby.

Aim for Shorter races with minimal time gap between races, allowing the shortest ‘comfort break’ to minimize social overlaps on land.  Use the PA to advise all.

The OOD MUST clean any surfaces and hard surface equipment, before and after use, with 70% alcohol spray and paper towel. Place used towels in a plastic bag immediately and put in the bin for disposal.  The microphone should be wiped carefully with paper towel sprayed with 70% alcohol.

Place records and forms into a plastic pouch. Soft single use materials should be placed in a plastic bag and disposed of in the bin before the end of any session.

FLAGS should be dealt with as secondary, after sound signals, if juggling on your own*.

Course boards MUST be cleaned before and after use with 70% alcohol spray and paper towel which will afterwards be placed in a plastic bag for disposal.
 

The Starting Platform MUST NOT be used by anyone other than the OOD and assistant if from the same household or bubble.

RADIOS to Safety Boats to be used with their waterproof covers which MUST be cleaned before and after use with 70% alcohol spray and paper towel which will afterwards be placed in a plastic bag for disposal.  Radios will be left in the box for collection.

*Only one person may serve as ‘flag puller’ at any time and only they will handle signal flags and boards other than when two persons are of the same household / bubble.

After use flags must not be rolled but hung to air.