A one-day US Sailing-Sanctioned Safety at Sea Seminar will be held at Newport on June 18.  The seminar is scheduled at this date in order to accommodate late arrivals who are sailing in the Newport Bermuda Race and other races, as well as cruisers and delivery crews.  This seminar satisfies the safety seminar attendance requirements of the Newport Bermuda Race and most other nearshore and ocean races originating in the U.S. The certificate earned by attending this safety at sea seminar will be issued by US Sailing and be valid for five years.

The seminar will be moderated by Ron Trossbach, US Sailing Safety at Sea Seminar Coordinator and Moderator.  He has selected topics and speakers to provide a maximum amount of information.  Other speakers include Cruising Club of America Commodore Tad Lhamon (the Lifesling), and John Rousmaniere (Lessons Learned from Accidents and their Seamanship Implications).  

Register for the seminar at https://sas.cruisingclub.org/.  The seminar location and time will be announced by May 1.

The full-day course follows the curriculum provided by the ISAF Offshore Special Regulations, with topics of interest to racing and cruising sailors.  Topics include: care and maintenance of safety equipment; storm sails; damage control and repair; heavy weather sailing; man overboard prevention and recovery; giving assistance to other craft; seasickness; hypothermia; search and rescue organization and methods; weather forecasting; life raft and life jacket demonstrations; and communications.

The Newport Bermuda Race requires that “at least 30% of those aboard the yacht, but not fewer than two members of the crew, including the Captain and Navigator or a Watch Captain, shall have attended a one-day or two-day US Sailing-certified Safety at Sea Seminar within the last five (5) years, or other courses as approved by US Sailing.”