Safety at Sea Weekend in Newport is just over a week away. Saturday, March 8, and Sunday, March 9 mark two days of offshore safety and Bermuda Race preparation seminars at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Newport, RI. There is still time to sign up for these important events on the race website under Safety At Sea.  Discount hotel rooms are still available at the Goat Island Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Skippers registered for the 2008 Newport Bermuda Race are reminded that the race requires specific levels of formal safety training for participants. Notice of Race paragraph 3.2 (Crew Eligibility and Responsibility) defines the required level of training for crew and afterguard.

The March 8 – 9 Safety at Sea seminars are your best opportunity to meet these requirements.  The Saturday seminar is a complete US Sailing sanctioned program, and is specially tailored to meet the needs of Bermuda Race participants. The Saturday seminar meets the formal safety training requirements of the 2008 Newport Bermuda Race.

For those interested in more advanced training geared specifically towards the Newport Bermuda Race, the Sunday seminars offer additional medical training and detailed information on preparation for the 2008 race. These seminars are important both for first-time Bermuda Race participants and race veterans seeking a boat preparation and crew performance edge.

A featured speaker at the Saturday Safety at Sea seminar is Stan Honey, one of the most accomplished offshore racing sailors and navigators in the world. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Stan talk about heavy weather sailing and crew safety.

We urge you to review the Notice of Race now, know what the Safety at Sea training requirements are as they relate to your boat, and take advantage of the March 8-9 seminars in Newport to get certified.  If you miss this opportunity, it will become very difficult to meet the training requirements prior to the race.

Be sure to check the Safety at Sea certification credentials of your crew now. At least 30% of the crew—including at least two members of the afterguard-- must have completed formal, sanctioned Safety at Sea training within three years of the June 20 start of the 2008 Newport Bermuda Race.  Four double-handed yachts, both crew must meet the requirement.

We encourage you to send every member of your crew to these seminars, whether they are race veterans or first-timers.  The Newport Bermuda Race has a long tradition of stressing safety at sea, and our emphasis on safety training for participants has paid off in making our fleet one of the best-prepared and safest in offshore racing.

Sign up for Safety at Sea weekend now at Safety At Sea. It’s an important part of maintaining our record of safe, fast offshore racing.