Not talking diet, this isn't our business.

Dropping them into surf ?

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Bear in mind that for fatigued or unfit casualties, even when conscious, major problem can be lack of upper body strength to pull up the topsides of a rescue boat.  This can be very greatly assisted by providing a foothold, either use of a fabric ladder as illustrated, or even putting a bowline or just a bight of rope over the side with the end(s) secured in the boat.

If you have electric/ hydraulic lift on the engine, that can be used to help them into the rib.

Assuming you have turned the engine of first!

With the engine off ( not idling!), It can be useful...

The other technique I've used is to get the victim/rescuee to hold on to side of the rescue boat, float one foot up to the gunwhale and rest it on top. Then you can roll the victim into the boat.

At all costs, avoid the direct lift approach for anyone over 12 years old.

My club also has a couple of Pioneer boats which can be used for rescue - simply stop the boat, drop the bow ramp and the rescuee can crawl up with a hand if needed.

All rules put responsibility onto the sailor themselves as with the extract above. I have been in situations where I as Race Officer I have had to have discussions with the Safety Boat team to keep a close eye on x or y as they either may struggle in the conditions or more to the point may not appropriately dressed for the conditions (going out in t shirt and shorts on a cold and reasonably breezy day, despite us having a word with him, we ended up having to rescue him and sitting him in the galley with a warm brew and a silver blanket).

Were does the responsibility actually lie? 

As responsible adults, with experience (as everybody here has) so we have some responsibility to keep an eye out for the safety of our fellow sailors (novices/juniors) during club racing?

Is there anything which gives someone at the club (not just when on on duty, as novices do this too) the ability to say "you're not sailing today because of x or y"

At the moment it seems very reactionary, we will fish you out if you go in, where surely it should be about preventing incidents that don't need to happen?

Musto Skiff - racks fitted with outriggers (skinny moth style hulls for example)

What would be your interpretation from a purely RRS perspective?  I think we know what the class measurer would say....  

well for what it's worth, it's hypothetical... and only a natural extension of the thoughts around bladders built into moth trampolines.  But I take your point 

Sorry, I don't follow you.

Please quote the Class Rule that you think is in conflict with rule 1.2.

I think the application of rule 1.2 with respect to dinghies is that 'adequate life saving equipment ... ready for immediate use is the pfd worn by each crew.

I assume a dinghy can carry flares and by extension, horse shoe life rings.  What about stability devices for safety purposes - prevention is better than cure n' all that... 

One final thought, if the moth hulls could be deployed as 'life rafts' would that constitute a safety device?  There's nothing which stops us 'streamlining' our PFDs to make them more performance orientated, so a life raft with reduced aero drag seems quite feasible... rules speaking anyway.  

As for the MPS class rules .... I will try to find a copy, but I'm fairly sure it's one of those 'if they don't say you can do, you can't do it' scenarios.