The YRA of San Francisco Bay has separate Safety Requirements for races held within San Francisco Bay waters (races that go no farther than rounding Pt Bonita), and for races that are held outside of San Francisco Bay (races that go past Point Bonita).
The Offshore Equipment Requirements list is available here. Requirements for In-The-Bay races are below.
Effective 01/01/2022
These equipment requirements are for YRA races held within San Francisco Bay.
1.1 These Minimum Equipment Requirements establish uniform minimum equipment and training standards for a variety of boats racing in San Francisco Bay under YRA. These regulations do not replace, but rather supplement, the requirements of the US Coast Guard, the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS), the rules of Class Associations, and all applicable rating rules.
1.2 The safety of a boat and her crew is the sole and inescapable responsibility of the “person in charge”, as per RRS 46, who shall ensure that the boat is seaworthy and manned by an experienced crew with sufficient ability and experience to face bad weather. S/he shall be satisfied as to the soundness of hull, spars, rigging, sails and all gear. S/he shall ensure that all safety equipment is at all times properly maintained and safely stowed and that the crew knows where it is kept and how it is to be used.
1.3 A boat may be inspected at any time by an inspector or measurer of the Organizing Authority. If she does not comply with these regulations her entry may be rejected, or will be liable to disqualification, or such other penalty as may be prescribed by the race Protest Committee.
1.4 All equipment required shall function properly, be regularly checked, cleaned and serviced, and be of a type, size and capacity suitable for the intended use and size of the boat and the size of the crew. This equipment shall be readily accessible while underway and, when not in use, stored in such a way that deterioration is minimized.
1.5 A boat’s heavy items such as batteries, stoves, toolboxes, anchors, chain, and internal ballast shall be secured.
2.5.3. A boat shall have a manual bilge pump of at least a 10 GPM capacity.
3.1.3 Each Crewmember shall have a life jacket that is USCG or ISO approved or meets the ocean requirement of 33.7 lbs of buoyancy. Belt packs are not allowed.
3.3.1 A boat racing between sunset and sunrise shall carry navigation lights that meet U. S. Coast Guard or applicable government requirements mounted so that they will not be obscured by the sails nor be located below deck level.
3.4 A boat shall carry fire extinguisher(s) that meets U.S. Coast Guard or applicable government requirements, when applicable.
3.5 A boat shall carry sound-making devices that meets U.S. Coast Guard or applicable government requirements, when applicable.
3.6.4 A boat shall carry U.S. Coast Guard flares meeting day-night requirements not older than the expiration date. Alternately, non pyrotechnic distress signals (distress flag for day, SOS light for night) which meet USCG requirements may be substituted.
3.7.3 A boat shall have a throwing sock-type heaving line of 50′ (15m) or greater of floating polypropylene line readily accessible to the cockpit.
3.8 A boat shall carry a Coast Guard approved Type IV “throwable device”.
3.9 A boat shall have a VHF radio which may be handheld or fixed mount.
3.11 A boat shall have at least one means to navigate (charts, GPS) that is appropriate for the race area and the characteristics of the boat.
3.19.1 A boat shall have a magnetic compass independent of the boat’s electrical system suitable for steering at sea.
3.23 A boat shall carry one anchor, meeting the anchor manufacturer’s recommendations based on the yacht’s size, with a suitable combination of chain and line.
3.25 A boat shall carry a first aid kit and first aid manual suitable for the likely conditions of the passage and the number of crew aboard.
3.27.2 A boat shall carry one sturdy bucket of at least two gallons (8 liters) capacity with lanyards attached.
4.2 Annually, two-thirds of the boat’s racing crew shall practice man-overboard procedures appropriate for the boat’s size and speed. The practice shall consist of marking and returning to a position on the water, and demonstrating a method of hoisting a crewmember back on deck, or other consistent means of reboarding the crewmember.