CYCA SOLAS Trusts donation to VMR Burdekin

by Jennifer Crooks on 30 Mar 2012 The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Safety of Life at Sea Trusts (SOLAS) has made a donation to Volunteer Marine Rescue (VMR) Burdekin of $24,000 which will be used to contribute to the purchase price of two new four stoke motors to power the rescue squad’s new Kevlar Cat rescue vessel.

This is the first donation that Volunteer Marine Rescue Burdekin has received from CYCA SOLAS Trusts, which was established after the tragic 1998 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race to assist search and rescue organisations Australia wide.VMR Burdekin operates from Cape Ferguson, just south of Townsville’s Cape Cleveland to Abbott Point just north of Bowen an area of approx. 10,000 square kilometres and is one of the busiest holiday boating areas in the world.

The area covered by VMR Burdekin forms part of the seaway used by many southern based yachtsmen and women when making their annual pilgrimage to compete in the North Queensland circuit of yachting regattas. VMR Burdekin are on 24/7 alert and can have up to 10 activations a month, responding to all types of emergencies. These activations can include assisting travelling yachtsmen who have been caught by wind changes whilst at anchor behind Cape Bowling Green, or that have been dragged aground in the nearby shallows; to medical emergencies of travellers or locals at nearby Cape Upstart.

In making this donation, CYCA SOLAS Trusts Chairman, Matt Allen said 'We are pleased that the CYCA SOLAS Trusts can provide this valuable assistance to VMR Burdekin in order to continue their operations and maintain their high level of service and care to their community.

'It is organisations like these that are often first to come to the aid of yachtsmen, commercial and recreational vessels and as Chairman of the CYCA SOLAS Trusts I am delighted that we can continue to support search and rescue organisations Australia wide through donations such as these,' Allen added.

Vincent Papale, President of VMR Burdekin expressed his gratitude to the CYCA SOLAS Trusts for the donation of funds to power the new KEVLACAT 3700.

'The arrival of this vessel is the culmination of a huge effort by the local community to raise the funds required for its purchase. 'The funding provided by the CYCA SOLAS Trusts recognises the valuable work done by VMR Squadrons around Queensland for travelling yachtsmen as well as other mariners. We are proud to have CYCA SOLAS Trusts on board as partners in the important community service we provide!,' Papale added.

One of the CYCA’s SOLAS Trusts objectives is to assist search and rescue organisations Australia wide. In the eleven years since it was established, in excess of $695,000 has been donated to 20 organisations in every Australian state as well as the ACT.

This is the seventh Queensland donation with VMR Southport/Surfers Paradise (two donations), Australian Volunteer Coast Guard (Brisbane & Townsville Flotillas), VMR Whitsundays, and RACQ Careflight, the other Queensland organisations to benefit from CYCA SOLAS Trusts donations.

With the support of the CYCA SOLAS Trusts, the CYCA Medical Management for Mariners Course was launched in 2010 and is a specialist course that has been designed for sailors to manage medical emergencies when paramedic and medical assistance is not at hand. It aims to provide sailors and others with additional skills and knowledge to assist them in assessing and providing immediate and longer term management for casualties and illness in the marine environment.

The next course commences on Tuesday 8 May, 2012 – log on to http://www.cyca.com.au/editorial.asp?key=4423 for further details.