Coroners findings Death of Linsday Dack

by Colin Chidgey, Competition Manager on 21 May 2003 The Victorian State Coroner, Graeme Johnstone, has today handed down his findings on the death of Lindsay Dack in the 2000 Cock of the Bay Race. In his findings he makes a number of recommendations regarding personal flotation devices, yacht race management procedures and safety training. The Australian Yachting Federation has carriage of the design or interpretation of much of the material required to influence these areas.

The President of the AYF, Graeme Ainley, said earlier today, 'The AYF has already implemented much of the practice and design required to achieve these coronial recommendations, as a result of the 1998 Sydney to Hobart assessments. The Safety and Sea Survival Course was implemented in 2001 as a comprehensive package to increase safety at sea, paralleling commercial requirements. The AYF's Special Regulations, which establish uniform minimum compliance levels for safety, equipment, accommodation and qualification standards for all racing boats (and act as a guide for cruising boats), have increased requirements in all these areas since their latest issue in 2001. The issue of personal flotation devices is one where the AYF is continuing investigations into the most effective methods and devices, particularly in relation to when these devices should be worn.'

The AYF has always taken a proactive approach to safety, and welcomes the coronial recommendations as yet another way of managing the change in this area. It should also be noted that the AYF can only prescribe the minimum requirements, and that practice of drills and assessment of conditions and requirements on the boats rests with owners and skippers. Graeme Ainley said of this, 'We all need to work together to increase safety at sea. If we all adopt reasoned processes which are both based on rules and situation assessment then we will increase the safety levels in our sport, without taking out too much of the fun.'




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