Crashing a boat at high speed is not something anyone wants to experience, but it is a very real possibility when racing given the unpredictability of water and the speeds competitors achieve.
When water is involved, the possibility of drowning exists. The severity of the risk is extreme so it’s not something the sport takes lightly. In sports boat classes the occupants sit in open cockpits with no seatbelts or restraints to hold them into their seats. In larger canopy boats five- or six-point harnesses are a prerequisite, along with re-breathing air devices. When rigging open cockpit boats, many competitors opt for good-quality, high-backed seats for added support/safety in the event of a roll over or crash.
Personal safety equipment for all classes includes crash helmets and life jackets. Crash helmets need to be higlow orange – easily achieved with the application of vinyl signwriting. Otherwise, few manufacturers provide precoloured helmets.
Life Jackets for open boats with top speeds under 100kph must feature a neck collar (a lifejacket as opposed to a buoyancy aid); a special race jacket is required for boats exceeding 100kph. This jacket is higher buoyancy and features both a collar and leg/crotch straps. The single-piece webbing leg/crotch straps wrap inside the jacket and up and over your shoulders to ensure that you stay inside the jacket if you are thrown from the boat and enter the water feet first. From personal experience, and from the shared experience of racers who had to rely on their safety equipment, this is not an area for any cost cutting. Purchase the best and look after it so that when you need it, it will look after you.
Boats must carry a knife, a tool kit, a first aid kit, paddles, a flag and a fire extinguisher, among other minor items. All are readily available and relatively inexpensive. Canopy boat occupants also typically carry individual knives on their persons in case they need to escape their harnesses and cannot release the security buckle.
Often overlooked as a piece of safety equipment is a driver-codriver helmet intercom. Many consider this a critical piece of racing equipment, but it is currently not required in New Zealand. Having a clear line of communication between boat occupants ensures the safety, not only of your crew, but also of other crews in the race. Incidents happen fast on the water, and unlike driving on land, you can’t tap the brakes.
Given the fluid nature of water, each lap throws up different wave patterns, which, in a split second, can catch out even those most experienced drivers. So, to ensure everyone gets home safe and dry, a head-on-a-swivel with eyes constantly scanning the surroundings is possibly the most important safety equipment of all. BNZ
