‘In-Depth’ Coverage of the Offshore Super Series ‘Dunker’ Crew Egress Trainer
No one is likely to argue that racing boats at over 100mph is a dangerous activity. In extreme sports such as this, safety and risk management must be integral to every aspect of the event - from equipment, operating procedures, and the human element.
The ‘dunker’ combines all of these aspects into a unified crew training experience which is required of all racers, multiple times per year.
We had the pleasure of watching dunker training this morning and tried to capture the experience in photos and video. We’d like to thank the OSS Safety Team for this fun and informative opportunity.
Egress 101
OSS boats are designed with closed cockpits and windshields which can withstand direct water impacts at maximum speed. All cockpits are surrounded with roll cage structures to futher protect crews in the event of a mishap. Rescue dive crews ride the chase helicopters which overfly every race and more divers are stationed on boats along the race course. With these measures in place, dunker training is designed to help race crews handle the critical time between an accident and the arrival of the rescue team.
This morning, training runs started with a briefing on proper egress procedure in the event of a capsize. Crews were instructed to secure their air supply 1st and foremost, and to be able to do this by feel. Once air is secured, the crew members have a lot of options. In many cases, their best option is to stay put until the rescue divers arrive. This allows the boat hull to provide protection against a run-over by another boat while the course is cleared.
Once the decision is made to egress, the next step is to unharness and flip within the cockpit (remember the crew is upsidedown in their 5-point harness at this point). This is done one crewmember at a time and isn’t necessarily very elegant.
Next, the main hatch (now in the floor) is opened and the crew exit one at a time. The first crewmember out waits at the hatch to assist their partner. Crews are also taught a series of hand signals to help communicate underwater. Many of the catamarans also have an emergency ‘floor’ hatch which provides a second escape option. Partially in jest, the rescue trainer suggests egress priority is generally given to the owner and/or money man on the boat.
Photos and Video
We’ve posted photos from the dunker in our OSS 2006 Gallery. They show a top-side sequence of a dunk session.
The video shows a series of 3 dunk sessions. The 1st provides a top-side view including the simulated use of the ‘floor hatch’ followed by use of the main hatch. The 2nd is an underwater view of the standard egress from the main hatch. Note the sequence of events as the crew grab their air regulators, flip, and egress. Sam, one of the lead rescue divers, stands by to assist if anything goes wrong (he keeps extra regulators in hand and can signal to the top-side crew to right the dunker if necessary). Finaly, the last sequence shows another dunk run by a different team with a visual lesson on the importance of helmets in training and racing.
Once again, we’d like to thank the safety team for their time and their dedication to safety and professionalism.
November 16th, 2006 at 7:50 am
Angels in the air, angels in the water, angels in our hearts!
OSS is very fortunate to have each of you! We are very proud of you!