Guide for Beachmasters

The primary rold of the beachmaster is to co-ordinate all activities on the beach and in the boat park on the day of racing.

It is the repsonsibility of the beachmaster to ensure that the risks on the beach and in the boat park are minimised as far as it is practically possible.

1. In the Boat Park Prior to Launch

• There should be no "horse play" in the boat park
• Particular attention should be paid to the hoisting and lowering of masts
• If possible, booms should not be attached to sails until after the boat has left the yard as many people have been injured by booms swinging back and forth
• All competitors should be encouraged to launch as soon as possible after the OOD has delivered the briefing.

2.  On the Beach Prior to Launch

• All competitors should be checked to ensure that they are dressed correctly.  They should be wearing:

• Wetsuit (t-shirts and shorts is not enough)
• Booties or other footwear (no bare feet)
• Properly fitting bouyancy aid
• Windsheeter or kag (required on all but very sunny days)

The main reasons for the above is to protect the competitor from cuts and bruises, to ensure that they will float and to protect from hypothermia which can result from sumbmersion in the water, even on warm days.

• Basic checks should be carried out on all boats to see that they are seaworthy:
  • They have a bung
  • They have a painter
  • They are rigged correctly (ask for help)

3. At Launch

• Boats should not be allowed to launch until the rescue boats are on the water.
• Boats should be launched one at a time in an orderly manner
• Use your judgement to assess if people are capable of handling the prevailing conditions.  If you have any doubts advise them not to sail.  Please note that it is ultimately each individual sailors decision whether or not to sail.

4. Recovery of Boats After Racing

• It is important to co-ordinate with the rescue boats to ensure that all the boats do not come in to the beach at once and cause chaos.  Advise the rescue boat drivers to only let them in two at a time and to hold the others off until you are ready.
• Each trolley has the boat's sail number and boat park space number so you should be able to identify the correct trolley.
• Note that in choppy conditions it will be necessary to have people in the water to help recover the boats.
• DO NOT let people hold a boat other than by the BOW while the boat is in the water.  Getting a boat washed on top of you by a wave is the most common cause of accidents when recovering boats.

5. Clearing the Beach of Boats

• The Beachmaster must liaise with the rescue boat drivers to ensure that all competitors are off the water.  Anybody wishing to remain on  the water must come ashore first and notify the Beachmaster.
• Once all boats are ashore the Beachmaster needs to co-ordinate ALL competitors to help haul the boats back to the Boat Yard.  If left to their own devices the vast majority of competitors will start to de-rig and get changed and leave one or two people to do all the work.  It is up to you to ensure that this does not happen.
• Once the beach has been cleared of all boats the Beachmaster can consider their job complete for the day.