Hello Fellow Race Captains and All Sailors:

Registration is well underway for the 2022 Newport Bermuda Race. Skippers have already begun to prepare their boats and crews. And we have started to receive questions about Safety at Sea training.

The Safety at Sea training requirements for the 2022 race are the same as the cancelled 2020 race. However, several things have changed that affect all Safety at Sea training in the United States for all races.

First, almost no Safety at Sea training has been conducted since March 2020 so there is a large backlog of sailors waiting for their initial training or renewals. Second, the requirements in the USA for obtaining the certification have been changed by the national authority, US Sailing. All sailors doing their training for the first time or renewing their training need to take the newly released “International Online Safety at Sea Course (Units 11-15)”. This change is not by or due to the Newport Bermuda Race but we are calling your attention to it.
 
Our team has prepared a step-by-step guide to assist captains in determining the number of crewmembers that are required to be trained and the proper course(s) for crewmembers. That guide is available for download here.

I encourage you to complete your crew’s Safety at Sea training as soon as practical. Several organizations have increased the number of courses available in anticipation of the large demand. The first courses in the USA start in October and are offered regularly thereafter. Please start early!
 
All the best,
 
Mark Lenci
Vice Chairman,
2022 Bermuda Race Organizing Committee