SoggyBadger wrote:Not a nice experience Nessa. Adding in Pat's experience the previous year, they'll have to seriously raise their game before I'd consider going there. Hope the Kestrel's fixable.
While I think it is right to offer sympathy for damage, I think that without having been at the event it is not appropriate to make comment of this nature.
Nessa did experience some consequence from extreme weather, but the weather circumstances were extreme and we were all warned well in advance that conditions would be challenging, and that only those who were fully confident in their boats ability to withstand strong winds should venture out.
My own experience of the support boats was of great competency and faultless seamanship, and I would personally have no hesitaion in reccomending this event as a fine example of how to run a Classic event.
I feel the discusion that has been ongoing should cease at this point as the discussion of appropriate safety measures and support at a classic event is, as David has alluded in his well argued comments, more complex than simple Support facilities, and includes issues such as the nature, age and health of the participants, as well as the boats.
I am not usually on the side of political correctness, but we are presented here with a question of what the duties of unqualified, support volunteers are. They are no longer "Rescue boats" because that carries legal implications of equipment, competency and responsibility. If more is demanded from them there is a real danger that our sport will become unfeasable.
The phenomenal level of support at Bosham included numerous Shore assistants from thier cadet section, helping with trollies, Free accomodation for many travellers, as guests of members, a support boat on the course offering a "Comfort facility" (Sorry mod, an mericanism creeping in there
) and not one but several support boats. This is unprecedented in any other CVRDA supported event I have been to.
I shall try to distill all of the excitement into a report in the next few days. There is much adventure and incident to write about so please be patient, and please lets not judge this event any further until after the race officers have had their own opportunity to discuss it at the "Wash-up" meeting that I know they will have, bearing in mind my sincere hope for more of the same NEXT YEAR!!!
I would ask that we close this thread now and if neccessary continue discussion of Classic dinghy event safety management on another thread, without reference to specifics, and in a non confrontational open forum