WYC approved safety boat drivers are offered a free social membership in return for committing to at least 10 recording duties per membership year. You will need an RYA Powerboat 2 qualification but will be trained on the specific requirements of WYC safety boats and their launch and recovery.
Safety Boat Driver Duties:
To provide safety cover for craft engaged in WYC organised activities, primarily racing.
To assist the race officer in running racing by laying, moving and recovering buoys and monitoring the race.
To advise the race officer by radio of safety boat and race status.
The SB driver will be allocated a volunteer crew to assist the duty whose safety is the responsibility of the driver.
To help launch and recover safety boat fleet, wash off and return to the Rigden shed.
You will be expected to volunteer for duties throughout the season which runs between March and December.
Appropriate clothing, and a buoyancy aid must be worn.
The length each duty will depend on the event and the number of races being held, minimum time is around 2 to 3 hours but if racing is delayed due to weather conditions you may have to wait around. Open events etc can take up to 5 to 6 hours.
Safety boat drivers should arrive 90 mins ahead of a club line start time or 120 mins in the case of a CB start.
Training and Support:
WYC offer training on specific requirements of driving, launch and recovery WYC safety boats to upgrade drivers with PB2. On completion SB drivers will be assessed by the SB Manager whilst covering a duty.
WYC publishes Safety Boat Crew Guidance Notes which advise volunteer SB crew what to expect when completing a duty: https://www.wyc.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2024/07/WYC_Safety_Boat_Crew_guidance_notes.pdf
WYC also publishes a Powerboat Standard Operating Procedure to support Safety Boat Drivers: https://www.wyc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024_WYC_Powerboat_procedure_SOP.pdf
The safety boat team have a WhatsApp group to support each other and assist with allocation of duties. Duties are recorded on a Google Sheets roster.