Hobart racers advised to carry GPS PLB

At the annual Skippers' Briefing for the Heemskirk Consolidated Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race, it was pointed out by an AMSA (Australian Maritime Safety Agency) advisor that it would take one to five hours to find a crew member with a non-GPS PLB, as opposed to instantaneously with a GPS capable version. All competitors in the race were required to carry a PLB similar to the Fast Find 211 manufactured by McMurdo.

The presentation was part of a safety section of a briefing given at the Royal Brighton Yacht Club in Melbourne on 8th January. Attendees included skippers from the Kidder Williams Melbourne to Launceston Race, which is the oldest ocean race in Australia. The 211 version of the Fastfind is equipped with GPS while the 201 version is the non-GPS model for the more budget conscious buyer.

With a strong emphasis on safety, AMSA was represented at the briefing by Linda Berryman and Christine Macmillan. Linda was pointing out that there is now a mere $60 difference between the two models in price.

The race started on boxing day with the last boats crossing the finish line on New Year’s Eve. For more information go to www.orcv.org.au.