RYA Offshore Safety (ISAF)

Duration: 2 Days ( including 2hr Pool Session)

The ISAF Offshore Safety course equips both racers and cruisers with the skills and knowledge necessary to both prevent and deal with emergencies offshore. While this course satisfies the compulsory requirements of many offshore yacht races it is equally applicable to those who cruise offshore and outside assistance is not readily available. The course is designed to help prepare sailors to handle emergencies and adverse weather at sea.

The course satisfies the training required by ISAF Offshore Special Regulations 6.01 for category 0, 1 and some category 2 offshore races, and is taught as a two day course. It is a mix of both theoretical and practical hands on training.

Day 1 Topics Covered:

•Care & Maintenance of Safety Equipment

•Storm Sails

•Damage Control

•Crew Routines

•Man Overboard Prevention and Recovery

•Giving Assistance to other craft

•SAR Organisation and Methods

•Practical Fire Precautions and Fire Fighting

•Distress Alerting and Survivor Location Aids

The first day of this course deals primarily with how to prepare a yacht for offshore heavy conditions and how to use all the equipment found onboard. Day 2 essentially covers the content of the RYA Sea Survival Course which very much deals with what to do once a decision has been made to abandon the vessel. Topics covered on day 2 are as follows.

Day 2 Topics Covered:

•Preparation for Sea Survival

•Lifejackets and Liferafts

•Principles of Survival

•Survival Craft Ailments

•Raft Management

•Search and Rescue

Learning by doing is unquestionably the best way to learn, and at Irish Offshore Sailing we make every effort to keep our safety courses as practically orientated as possible. There is usually the opportunity to step onboard an offshore yacht and rig the storm sails and tri sails, as well as practically examine the difficulties in getting a casualty from the water back onto the vessel.

What’s included: Your course notes and RYA Sea Survival Book, Lifejackets and Liferaft will be provided for the pool session. However you are more than welcome to test your own lifejacket

What’s not included: Track Suit and t-shirt, clean waterproofs and a towel also needed for the pool session. Notebook and pencil for notes during the classroom session.