US Sailing Prescription to the new High Visibility Rule in ISAF Offshore Special Regulations Approved
US Sailing Advisory
Approved US Sailing Prescription modifies 2012 OSR 4.26.2 High Visibility:
US Sailing prescribes that the requirement for a highly-visible colored material or patch covering 50% of the area of storm jibs in ISAF OSR 4.26.2 (a) is only a recommendation in the U.S. until January 1, 2014. Then, after January 1, 2014, the ISAF requirements for new storm sails in ISAF OSR 4.26.2 (a) shall apply to CAT 0, 1, 2, and 3. This requirement grandfathers all storm sails made prior to January 1, 2014.
Purpose of the Prescription:
U.S. sail makers report only a limited amount of highly visible material and sticky back is available on this short notice. It will take three months to acquire more of this material. Several major races that start within the next two weeks (Corona del Mar to Cabo) to three months (Newport to Bermuda) are facing this recent modification of all storm jibs. There were concerns that the modifications would not last and may affect the efficient use of the sails and US Sailing attempts to avoid adding sudden costly changes without advanced warning.
Below is the new 2012 ISAF regulation that the U.S. has modied ISAF 2012 OSR 4.26.2 (a):
Every storm jib shall either be of highly visible colored material (e.g. dayglo pink, orange or yellow) or have a highly visible colored patch at least 50% of the area of the sail (up to a maximum diameter of 3m) added on each side; and also that a rotating wing mast should have a highly visible colored patch on each side. A storm sail purchased after January, 2014 shall have the material of the body of the sail a highly-visible color.
For more information visit http://offshore.ussailing.org/SAS/ISAF_Special_Regulations.htm.
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