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Safety at Sea Courses

Safety at Sea Courses


The Cruising Club of America, The Bermuda Race Foundation, Storm Trysail Club and U.S. Naval Academy will all run Safety at Sea courses prior to the start of the 2024 Race. The CCA and the Bermuda Race Foundation (the courses are identical from both host organizations) are conducted in Bristol, RI, at Roger Williams University. The Storm Trysail Club courses are at SUNY Maritime in The Bronx, N.Y. The course held at the U.S. Naval Academy is organized by the Marine Trades Association of Maryland.

ATTENTION Sailors who are renewing your certification: Please note the change to the US Sailing requirements for recertification. You must take the "Online Offshore Safety at Sea Part Two" in addition to the one day in person "hands-on" course.

2024 Newport-Bermuda Race Safety at Sea Requirements:


4.3.1 Safety At Sea Seminar Attendance: At least 30% but not fewer than two members of the crew including the Person-In-Charge (PIC) must hold a World Sailing Approved Offshore Personal Survival Course Certificate earned by attending (1) a two-day US Sailing approved “International Offshore Safety at Sea course with Hands-on Training” course (the first day may be online training), or (2) a World Sailing approved “Offshore Personal Survival Course”. A certificate will be honored for the purposes of this paragraph for the three Newport Bermuda Races scheduled after the date that the certificate was issued. This calculation includes the 2020 Race which was not conducted.

Cruising Club of America (CCA) and Bermuda Race Foundation (BRF) Seminars

These courses are both for sailors who have never completed an “International Offshore Safety at Sea with Hands-on Training course” and for those who need a refresher course because their certificate is out of date. The in-person portion of the CCA and BRF courses are one day long.

The course packages are identical and include:

  • (A) two online courses: the US Sailing “Online Offshore Safety at Sea Part One (Units 1 - 10) and "Online Offshore Safety at Sea Part Two (Units 11 - 15) (Sailors who are refreshing (renewing) their certification will only take Part Two.);
  • (B) the US Sailing Safety at Sea book,
  • (C) the one-day in person hands on course,
  • (D) and a one year US Sailing membership or renewal.

Schedule for CCA & BRF courses

Click here to learn more and register.


  • Dec. 2,3
  • March 2,3
  • April 13,14
  • June 12th* (only for NBR registrants with permission of NBR Chair, not open for registration)

Storm Trysail Club (STC) Seminars

Storm Trysail Club is back hosting their annual spring Hands-On Safety At Sea seminar.


By attending the course, and viewing the Storm Trysail’s Video Library, participants will earn the “US Sailing Offshore Safety at Sea” certification. If you would like to earn the “International Offshore Safety at Sea with Hands-on Training” certification, you must contact US Sailing directly and complete their 15-chapter online course, in addition to attending the hands-on training.


Codes can be purchased directly from US Sailing’s online store, https://shop.ussailing.org/education/safety-at-sea/.  If you are ‘refreshing’ your ISAF certificate, you will need to take US Sailing’s online units 11-15.


If you are interested in doing the Newport Bermuda Race or any other major offshore event, make sure you and your crew have the required training.


Building on the success of past seminars, this event will follow an interactive curriculum where attendees fire distress flares, put out fires, learn damage control, set storm sails, and rescue a man overboard among other activities.

Schedule for STC Seminars

(Click a date to learn more and register)


Newport Bermuda Race Training Requirements


The Safety at Sea team has put together the following summary of Safety at Sea crew training requirements for monohulls for your convenience:

2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 crew members: 2 must have SAS training (including the skipper/PIC)

  • 7, 8, 9, or 10 crew: 3 (including the skipper/PIC)
  • 11 to 19 crew: 4 (including the skipper/PIC)
  • 20 or more: 30% x (total number of crew) including the skipper/PIC
  • Multihull vessels: 30% x (total number of crew) must have SAS training, including the skipper/PIC, and the Reserve Person-in-Charge (RPIC).

Medical Seminar

Prevention and preparedness are best ways to avoid injury and stay safe during any offshore experience. These resources are to help in that process. Crew trained via Safety at Sea, CPR/First Aid, and more, is always the best way to prepare. Please note that the "hands on" in person class is required for CPR certification. The Red Cross has course options in many locations:

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