Rescue Boat Liability?

Sorry I should have made it clearer, the safety boat training includes actually going to the assistance of capsized boats including towing them in, righting from turtle and from on it's side.

We also do this with all sorts of boats from Lasers through fast asymmetrics to cats.

(we had the 49er/29er/59er,Musto skiffs and 420 inlands this w/end and the majority were sailing yesterday in gusts up to 37knots)

much respect to them! BTW we stayed on the shore

As sailor we must decide if the conditions are right for ourselfs to go sailing not relie on some one else to sort it all out when it all goes wrong. (I must addmit its great to have them when something unexpected breaks) But if go out on the water we must accept the consiquences of our actions (why would any saine normal person go out in 40kts?)

Please shoot me down if you feel im wrong  

Our club runs safety boat courses for everybody who does "rescue" and all our drivers are given power boat training up to level 2 (further if they want I think). On top of that they are all given first aid training which is refreshed every 2 years.

However, I tend to think his reaction, to claim against somebody else is becoming driven into people in the UK by the frequent and continuous TV "no win no fee" type advertising which seems to suggest that when something happens to you you claim against somebody else for money. With such a barrage of "claim, claim, claim" publicity going on I am not surprised by the original question. It is part of the price the UK is paying for becoming Americanised.

In fact it is more than just UK becoming Americanised. Research has shown that younger generations are being over protected from risk. Children are no longer being allowed out to learn by mistakes. When I was a kid used to spend ages falling off things and getting hurt and apparently this is a critical part of the learning process. These days "health and safety", etc. is stopping children from such activities, school trips are often too great a risk and anything minor "goes wrong" and the teacher is subject to enquiries, etc. The result is that they have a greater need to feel "looked-after" (the nanny state being sought). Part of this is accidents not being "your fault" and claiming against them i.e. there is always a safety net for you. (Not for one moment suggesting Jamie is in this category but talking generally here).

Activities like sailing are really fantastic as they encourage learning by experience, getting it wrong, "falling over" and learning to stand on one's own two feet - and actually in a fairly protected environment. Get everybody out sailing.

Ian