Orchestrating
a competitive sporting event in a working harbour is no easy task. We
believe that Victoria's Inner Harbour is a spectacularly beautiful venue
- and so do the Harbour Ferries, kayakers, mega-yachts, passenger
ferries and commercial vessels that also use the harbour every day.
Maintaining
safe and fair racing standards is a high priority for the Victoria
Dragon Boat Festival Society. Neil Pritchard leads the Water Safety
Crew and this month on our blog, he's filling us in on the procedures
and priorities that shape our water safety plans.
As the Race Safety Officer and Chief Umpire, I am responsible for the safety of everyone on the water and the fair flow of the race. The Victoria Dragon Boat Festival (VDBF) comes with some interesting and unique challenges, as our race course is in the middle of an active harbour and marine airport. Unlike most dragon boat race venues we must contend with a myriad of non-race issues which at any given time can involve scheduled ferries and aircraft arrivals / departures, commercial vessels such as tugs and barges, whale watching vessels, harbour ferries and a variety of pleasure vessels ranging from kayaks to large private yachts. Several times each day, the start line must be dismantled to allow free access to the navigation channel for incoming and outgoing vessels.
Under my direction, there is a water crew of 20 to 30 boat drivers and referees, which have been carefully selected for their skills in navigation and communication. Many of the crew are former or current members of the Canadian Forces. New water crew members undertake training on the water under the direction of Dragon Boat Canada (DBC) Certified Officials at various festivals. They are trained in the rules of dragon boat racing and in effective communication. Many of them have received DBC Festival Official status, having completed theoretical training and practical evaluation. Some of our Officials (me included) will be officiating at this year’s National Dragon Boat Races.
Our top priority is the safety of the racers. In order to achieve an acceptable level of safety, we work with a well-defined race safety plan which was developed in conjunction with Transport Canada (TC), the Federal Government department which overseas transportation safety. The VDBF safety plan has been developed in co-operation with local police departments, fire departments and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG). The plan covers all aspects of our operation and covers all aspects of our races. Prior to the VDBF, I chair a multi-jurisdictional safety meeting so that all of the various agencies (CCG, TC, RCMP, Victoria Police, Victoria Marine Fire Rescue) and the water crew are all versed in the race operations, safety and dragon boat rescue protocols. This large multi-disciplinary team is focused on one thing – the safety and enjoyment of everyone on the water during the festival.
Other things we must contend with are strong currents and tides – especially evident at our start marshalling area. Due to the variability of the currents, tides and surface/sub surface conditions, care must be taken at the start marshalling. Often these conditions affect how we marshall our heats, this means that we are unable to conduct the races the same every time. We are also under the direction of Transport Canada and when they tell us to race, we race – when they tell us to stop, we stop. That is why there are some delays on the course – things beyond our control. Ultimately, the sterns and our water crew all want and strive for the same thing – an efficient movement from the dock through to the finish of the race, with no accidents, and a fair, incident free race.
Every year after the festival, there is a debriefing where changes are incorporated into the race processes to improve the paddlers’ race experience and safety. Some changes in things in the past year include permitting inflatable PFDs (as long as they are activated by water contact and worn properly!) and asking our newer sterns to identify themselves with reflective vests. Identification of newer sterns enables our water crew to take a more time to provide more direction to those sterns so that they can be successful and safe.
Our crew is ready and trained, our safety race plan is rock solid, and we look forward to seeing you in August at the Victoria Dragon Boat Festival. My crew and I are ready to look after you and provide a superior racing experience!
Paddles Up!
