ISAF Special Regulations
A primary obligation of the US SAILING Safety at Sea Committee is to scrutinize the
International Sailing Federation Offshore Special Regulations Governing Offshore Racing including US SAILING Prescriptions and to make recommended changes via the US SAILING Board of Directors to the ISAF Offshore Special Regulations Sub-Committee following the guidelines of ISAF Regulation 36, Special Regulations Administration.
What's New in the 2012 ISAF Offshore Special Regulations New Procedures
• ISAF has added the requirement to nominate a person to take over the responsibilities in the event of incapacitation of the Person In Charge/Captain (OSR 1.02.1)
NEW EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS.
• A spare magnetic steering compass independent of a power supply has been added by ISAF (OSR 3.24.1 b)
• ISAF requires that all rechargeable batteries replaced after 1/12 must be sealed (OSR 3.28.4 b)
• ISAF has added a requirement to have a fire blanket adjacent to every cooking device with an open flame. (OSR 4.05.4)
• ISAF requires that a Man Overboard Alarm capable of recording a position must be available at every helm station. (OSR 4.28.3)
PROCEDURE and EQUIPMENT CHANGES.
• ISAF has described the Plan Approval or Review process for new yachts over 24 m (OSR 3.03.1b and OSR3.03.2 b)
• ISAF has defined minimum clear opening sizes for new yachts (OSR 3.06.2)
• ISAF has redefined what synthetic rope can be used for lifelines and how to splice it (OSR 3.14.6 a & e)
• ISAF has added high modulus polyethylene rope to the list of approved materials for Jackstays/Jacklines. (OSR 4.04.1 ii)
• ISAF has combined light requirements for searching for a person in the water and for collision avoidance into a single searchlight. (OSR 4.07.1 a)
• ISAF has redefined the description of Radar Reflectors and Radar Target Enhancers. US SAILING's prescription is unchanged and still applicable (OSR 4.10)
• ISAF has defined a ship's 406 MHz EPIRB as one that has water and manual activation (not a PLB) (OSR 4.19 d)
• ISAF has clarified that liferafts must be serviced every three years (minimum) and that valises must be inspected annually (OSR 4.20.5 d and e)
• ISAF is recommending that lifebuoys should be of a safety color in the yellow-red range (not white) (OSR 4.22.5)
• ISAF has declared that 50% of the area of every storm jib must be high visible colored material (OSR 4.26.2 a)
• ISAF has defined the sheeting guidelines and sizes of storm jibs and storm trysails (OSR 4.26.4 b, c, i, and k)
• US Sailing has prescribed what lifejackets are allowed as options to the redefined ISO 12402 PFD requirements of ISAF (OSR 5.01)
• ISAF has redefined the medical training requirements to accept STCW 95 First Aid Training (OSR 6.05 ii)
• ISAF has included a model first aid training course curriculum, for consideration (OSR 6.05.4)
This list applies to Monohull Category 1 sailboats racing in accordance with the 2012-2013 ISAF Offshore Special Regulations which are being prepared for publication and distribution by the Offshore Office at US SAILING.
A full list can be found with this link.
October 2011 ~ Submissions to the 2012 ISAF Regulations can be found here.
When the U.S. needs are different from the international agreed upon regulations and recommendations US SAILING modifies the ISAF book with what is called a "US SAILING Prescription".
The complete text of the 2010-2011 US Edition of the ISAF Offshore Special Regulations Governing Offshore Racing for Monohulls & Multihulls, including US SAILING Prescriptions, is posted here.
Extracts for each Category are posted at: http://offshore.ussailing.org/SAS/ISAF_Special_Regulations/Extracts.htm
July 2011 ~ Recent Changes to the US SAILING Prescriptions of the 2010-2011 ISAF Offshore Regulations (OSR)
The following changes to US SAILING Prescriptions to the 2010-2011 ISAF Offshore Special Regulations (OSR) have been approved by US SAILING's Board of Directors:
1. Change US SAILING Prescription following OSR 5.01.4 to read:
“US SAILING prescribes that all personnel on deck shall wear properly fitted
personal floatation while starting and finishing. At other times during the
race, floatation shall be worn on deck except when the Captain of the boat
directs that it may be set aside. (**)”
2. Add the following US SAILING Prescription to OSRs 3.03.1 b) and 3.03.2 b):
“US Sailing prescribes that yachts with LOA over 24m and built after 1 January 2010 shall be designed, built, repaired and maintained in accordance with the ABS Guide for Building and Classing Offshore Racing Yachts, 1994, including Notice 1, or an equivalent rule for sailing craft published by a member of IACS in effect at the time of initial Plan Approval or Plan Review. A certificate or letter indicating Plan Approval or Plan Review by ABS, another IACS member, or a notified body recognized by ISAF or US SAILING shall be carried on board. (Mo0,1,2)”
3. Delete current US SAILING Prescription to OSR 5.01.1 b):
"US SAILING prescribes that OSR 5.01.1 b) shall not apply but recommends that lifejackets have a crotch strap or thigh straps until 1 January 2014 when crotch/thigh straps will be required. (Mo 1,2,3)"
4. Replace the current US SAILING prescription below OSR 5.01.4 with the following NEW prescription:
"US SAILING prescribes for Categories 0,1,2,and 3: either a lifejacket defined above (See Note 1), or a USCG approved Type I non-inflatable personal flotation device (PFD), or a USCG approved yoke-type inflatable with 33lb (150N) or greater buoyancy with or without crotch strap, face guard, or buddy line. Each inflatable PFD shall be inflated and inspected annually. Service dates shall be marked on each PFD. It is recommended that all inflatable PFDs be integrated with safety harnesses (see OSR 5.02) (See Note 2). (Mo 1,2,3)
Note 1: ISO 12402 is not currently approved by the USCG. Boats operating in US waters are not exempt from USCG requirements.
Note 2: Many inflatable PFD's with built-in harnesses are designed for people greater than 5' 5" in height and are potentially dangerous if you are below that height.
Note 3: Inflatable PFDs with the required buoyancy will generally have inflation cylinders containing 33g or more of CO2.
Note 4: "Yoke-type" is defined as a PFD that is designed to keep its wearer face-up and head-up in the water and that provides buoyancy in front of the chest and behind the neck immediately when inflated."
5. Questions or comments to DanNowlan@USSAILING.ORG and rontrossbach@msn.com