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Competitors - Safety

Regatta Safety

Safety on the water

Although there is in force an EA notice, restricting access to the regatta course by general traffic, the river is not closed to other river users. Please therefore read these instructions in conjunction with the map of the course showing the required circulation pattern.

Keep Right (starboard, to bow side) at all times when navigating and observe the following rules:-

Boating from the Landing Stages

1. Place boats in the water bows upstream, and proceed directly upstream.
2. Cross the course between races and cutting off the corner of the course, passing upstream of the first large buoy and between the small course markers, observing instructions from the circulation marshal.

Paddling to the start / warm-up

3. Follow the starboard-hand rule and stay close to the course marker buoys in the navigation channel
4. Do Not Stop or do practice starts in the navigation channel
5. Proceed to the marshalling area above Raven’s Ait and above the start for warming-up
6. Do any practice starts upstream of Raven’s Ait

At the Finish

7. Continue through the finish as soon as you are able
8. Pass downstream through the centre arch of the bridge and turn below the bridge, returning upstream through the Middlesex (regatta enclosure) side arch to approach the landing stages.
9. If there is observed to be the possibility of a large motor vessel heading for the centre arch, please use an alternative arch of the bridge, as advised by the circulation marshal.
10. At all times observe the instructions of your race umpire and the circulation marshal.

Siren Codes

11. The following Siren Codes are used by the large passenger cruisers:
    These passenger cruisers will be plying from the Surrey bank in the narrow part of the navigation channel and must be given right of way

    Number of blasts	Means I am :-
    1 short	Turning to Starboard (my right)
    2 short	Turning to Port (my left)
    3 short	My engines are going astern (slowing or reversing)
    4 short	Unable to manoeuvre
    4 short + 1 short	Going about 180 degrees to Starboard
    4 short + 2 short	Going about 180 degrees to Port
    5 short	You are not taking action to avoid me

General Safety Information

12. A St John Ambulance will be situated at all times during the regatta on the Middlesex bank between Kingston Bridge and the boating rafts.  Paramedics/first aid assistants will be available.
13. The regattas' child welfare officers, who will be in attendance throughout the regatta, are:
    Saturday: Sarah Searle (mobile no 07721 994724) and
    Sunday: Sunara Spires (mobile no 07966 424617).
14. Safety boats.  There will be two safety boats in attendance throughout the regatta, situated at the start and the finish and patrolling the course regularly throughout the day.
15. The nearest public phone box is on the far side of the roundabout on the Hampton Wick end of Kingston Bridge. The telephone number of this phone box is 0208 943 2735.
16. The safety adviser for the regatta is Stephen Drury, whose mobile is 07768 634756.
17. In order to summon help at any time, please contact the nearest regatta official, who will have a radio link to regatta control and the safety launches.
18. In the event of a thunderstorm, whether on the water or in the enclosure area, please follow the directions of the safety adviser who will advise you as to how best to reach a place of safety.
19. Postcode for satnav: KT1 4AA.
20. Arrangements for regatta traffic management are detailed here.

Safety Studies

The regatta safety advisor has produced a Risk Assessment (PDF) and a Hazard Control Protocol (PDF), which invokes Accident Plan A (on the water) (PDF) and Accident Plan B (on land) (PDF).

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