Trapeze Harness Standard-we need a new one

[Doug Lord]

From Scuttlebutt tonight: ( I haven't used Bethwaites system but it sure seems like an improvement on the ones I have used!)

IS IT TIME FOR A NEW STANDARD?

Trapeze harness entanglement is a known cause for drowning or near death
events in sailing. In the U.S., the drownings of a 420 crew this past
summer and an 18 footer crew in 2008 were attributed to the trapeze
harness. And when Scuttlebutt spoke to several elite skiff sailors, they
believe harness accidents are far more common than is publicized. Skiff
champion and designer Julian Bethwaite was so motivated by a personal
experience to seek a solution. Here are his comments:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I designed a quick release harness, and used it for about three years. On
that harness the hook comes detached when you pull a string. We were about
to go into production, had the dies ordered, but then I loaned the harness
to a sailor on Lake Garda and learned he had taped the hook so that it
wouldn't come off. Such an adjustment rendered the harness pointless, so I
realized that this was not a sufficient solution if people were going to
defeat this feature.

So then we went looking for ideas that couldn't be manipulated. We tried
maybe 20 different options until we settled on the ball option. We also
tried a hook on the wire and a ring on the harness, and that worked quite
well. But we found the ball design to meet our goal, and while we make
them, it is not a product we actively market, partly due to confusion with
the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) which requires a
removable hook, and obviously our harness doesn't have a hook.
(ISO 10862:2009 specifies requirements and test methods for quick release
devices as a component of the small sailing-craft trapeze system worn
whilst afloat. The quick release device is intended to quickly release the
wearer from entrapment and minimize the risk of drowning in the event of a
failure to release from the sailing-craft trapeze system by other means.
The quick release device is intended to be easily accessible and operated
in all conditions that might occur whilst in use, including when a craft is
capsized or inverted.)

There are no standards from ISAF on harness design, so we probably sell a
hundred of the harnesses a year. It is a good solution, it works, though it
does take a little practice to adjust to it. We are looking at some new
tooling to improve it, which I believe to be the ninth revision. I think
the 49er took that many revisions to get it right, so maybe we are there
with the harness too. But certainly the ball system we use offers a far
lesser chance of entrapment.

Beyond harness design, the other contributing factor is the rigging. Think
about all the lines in the boat. The big issue now is that spectra lines
float whereas the older ropes would sink. We used to have wire for the
trapeze wires, and they would sink, but now the spectra trapeze wires
float. The spinnaker halyard floats, which is why in the 29er we have
mandated that you have to have a spinnaker halyard gobbler so that the
chance of entrapment by a loose halyard on the floor of the boat are
significantly reduced.

So with an overturned boat, these new lines are all floating. And the hook
on the trapeze harness is designed to hook on things. Unfortunately, people
are still very slow to change their mind, to consider other systems. The
current fixed hook system on the trapeze harness is what we all have grown
up with, so perhaps the thinking is that if it was good enough for us, it
is good enough for our kids. But as the sport becomes more popular, I am
thinking that this notion is incorrect.

Bethwaite harness: http://tinyurl.com/Harness-120411
Quick release harness: http://www.apsltd.com/c-3825-trapeze-harnesses.aspx

[NorCal]

Interesting idea. Never had a scary moment with traditional harnesses but have missed the harness when trying to get on the wire quickly. I wonder how quickly you can "hook" in with this style.

[wet feet]

A few years ago there was a movement to mandate the use of quick release hooks.It evaporated.There have also been movements to encourage carrying serrated knives to cut free any lines that trapped a sailor.No reason why you shouldn't carry them.I think an experienced trapezing crew would very soon check the hook if they became caught,a novice might not and we have no way of knowing whether they would rapidly operate a quick release system.
A few years ago I had the sad experience of rigging my boat next to a boat that had been returned to the boat park by a rescue crew the previous evening after one ofthe crew had drowned.The view of club members who were familiar with the story was that lack of fitness and experience were the main causes of the tragedy.How do you find a system that is appropriate for both novices and experts?If such a system can be devised I would hope it will be made freely available and nobody seeks to patent it or restrict its widespread use.

[CutOnce]

Traps are inherently dangerous. I've got a few different harnesses with a Magic Marine Ultimate as my current choice. It has a quick release hook, although it is not effortless to release.

It is one of the best available, but it is a bunch of compromises. To avoid unintentional releases, and the need to purchase expensive replacement hooks, it isn't easy to release. It came with an incredibly stupid and dangerous "plastic hook retainer clip" which made the hook stay attached to the ring on release, but also made unhooking slow and dangerous, if not almost impossible. This was removed immediately - and every Magic Marine harness I've ever seen has it removed. Obviously a lawyer-required option to avoid liability for loss of the hook in a unplanned release. One tack with this thing on and it will be removed by anyone.

Consensus basically comes down that custom made harnesses that fit perfectly with minimal adjustment, straps and things to snag are best - but each on has to be made for each user. Combined with a good tight rash guard over top everything smoothing away potential snags a fixed hook is pretty much standard.

My crew on my skiff used a Bethwaite ball and socket harness on his 29er, and loved it for the higher safety. Problem is sailing on anything other than the 29er meant the boat had to be re-rigged with the ball on the trap wire instead of the ring. Changing boats meant he basically needed a second harness with a hook. Buying a Bethwaite ball and socket harness means you buy the harness and you re-rig the boat with two trap wires set with the ball termination.

Traps aren't as safe as sliding seats, but are lighter, cheaper and simpler to rig. This one of those performance increasing technologies that demands acceptance of lower safety and higher risk from users.

--
CutOnce

[Doug Lord]

Originally Posted by CutOnce

Traps are inherently dangerous. I've got a few different harnesses with a Magic Marine Ultimate as my current choice. It has a quick release hook, although it is not effortless to release.

It is one of the best available, but it is a bunch of compromises. To avoid unintentional releases, and the need to purchase expensive replacement hooks, it isn't easy to release. It came with an incredibly stupid and dangerous "plastic hook retainer clip" which made the hook stay attached to the ring on release, but also made unhooking slow and dangerous, if not almost impossible. This was removed immediately - and every Magic Marine harness I've ever seen has it removed. Obviously a lawyer-required option to avoid liability for loss of the hook in a unplanned release. One tack with this thing on and it will be removed by anyone.

Consensus basically comes down that custom made harnesses that fit perfectly with minimal adjustment, straps and things to snag are best - but each on has to be made for each user. Combined with a good tight rash guard over top everything smoothing away potential snags a fixed hook is pretty much standard.

My crew on my skiff used a Bethwaite ball and socket harness on his 29er, and loved it for the higher safety. Problem is sailing on anything other than the 29er meant the boat had to be re-rigged with the ball on the trap wire instead of the ring. Changing boats meant he basically needed a second harness with a hook. Buying a Bethwaite ball and socket harness means you buy the harness and you re-rig the boat with two trap wires set with the ball termination.

Traps aren't as safe as sliding seats, but are lighter, cheaper and simpler to rig. This one of those performance increasing technologies that demands acceptance of lower safety and higher risk from users.

--
CutOnce

=========================
Did he find the Bethwaite system as easy as a "normal" system in addition to finding it safer? It seems to me if Bethwaites system works well and is a whole lot safer then maybe it should become "mandated" equipment.

[CutOnce]

Originally Posted by Doug Lord

=========================
Did he find the Bethwaite system as easy as a "normal" system in addition to finding it safer? It seems to me if Bethwaites system works well and is a whole lot safer then maybe it should become "mandated" equipment.

Once he got used to it, yes it was about the same as a hook & ring. Problem is that like many things the hook & ring has achieved a fundamental monopoly and getting millions of dinghy sailors to change is practically impossible.

--
CutOnce

[Doug Lord]

From Scuttlebutt tonight:

RESEARCH INTO DINGHY ENTRAPMENTS

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) conducted research into the numbers and contributing factors of entrapments under capsized dinghies. During their study period of 2003-2004, 44 incidents were logged.

The RYA also looked at ways of preventing entrapments by examining boat design and developing and testing rescue techniques. In addition, air gap tests were conducted under a range of boats and discussions took place with the major dinghy manufacturers.

Despite the low statistical risk, there was a sufficient range of incidents to suggest it is worth making sailors aware of the problem. Of the incidents reported, only a small proportion required medical treatment, but over one third were serious i.e. potential threat to life.

The biggest risk results from complete inversion of the boat with the sailor tangled or stuck underneath. The probability of an incident seems unaffected very much by the conditions, since a number of incidents were recorded in light winds.

Here are some of the findings from the report 'RYA Research into Dinghy Entrapments March 2005':

* The most common cause of entrapment was 30% getting ropes tangled around the body or limbs, 30% getting caught on other control lines and straps and 30% involved some part of the trapeze harness.
* The most effective rescue of a trapped sailor is to right the boat as rapidly as possible.
* Sealed masts and masthead buoyancy to have some effect in reducing the speed and likelihood of inversion.
* Modern designs with raised cockpit floor to enable self-draining have less or no air void for sailors trapped in the cockpit when inverted.
* Consideration should be given for trapeze harnesses other than the fixed hook type.
* Keep control lines short and tidy and maintain elastic so it does its job.
* Carry a very sharp, easily accessible, preferably serrated knife.

Full report: http://tinyurl.com/RYA-121311

[Doug Lord]

From Scuttlebutt tonight:

SEEKING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Most in the US sailing community are aware of the tragic drowning of
14-year old Olivia Constants in a club-supervised practice in Annapolis in
June, 2011. Olivia and her skipper were part of their club's Club 420
Travelling Team that raced against other clubs in the Chesapeake Bay area.
The drowning was caused by Olivia's trapeze gear becoming "caught on
something," which held her underwater.

Noted sailing author John Rousmaniere presented a detailed report of the
accident at the US Sailing Annual Meeting in late October 2011. In that
report, John mentioned Long Island Sound Coach Steve Keen as having had
similar but not fatal experiences. Steve is the Director of Sailing for
LISOT - the Long Island Sound Youth Sailing Team, and its head 420 Coach.

Coconut Grove Sailing Club hosted its 49th Annual Open Orange Bowl Regatta
this past December 27-30. 29ers, International 420's and Lasers were the
invited classes, of which the first two are trapeze classes with young
sailors. Consequently, in view of the timing as the first major trapeze
class event following release of the US Sailing report, it was appropriate
to present the latest thinking about trapeze safety to the entrants, their
coaches and parents.

Coconut Grove Sailing Club's Safety Clinic was conducted in association
with its 49th Annual Open Orange Bowl Regatta on Monday, December 26th 2011
at 4:30 pm on the Lawn at the Club. Attendance was mandatory for 29er and
I-420 entrants in the CGSC Open OB Regatta. Their coaches and parents, the
entrants in the Club 420 Class Coral Reef YC OB International Youth Regatta
and their coaches and parents were also invited. The event was very well
attended, with seating on the lawn and also on the upper deck of the
Clubhouse behind the railing facing the Lawn.

Coconut Grove Sailing Club Commodore Ron Rostorfer welcomed the attendees
and stated that the reason for the Clinic was the tragic fatality involving
Olivia. The attendees then stood and observed a moment of silence in
respect for Olivia.

Ron proceeded to briefly discuss the evolving nature of both safety and
performance-related sailing equipment and the need to thoroughly vet the
purposes and potential side-effects of both safety and performance
equipment before committing to their use.

He then mentioned Coach Steve Keen as perhaps the most advanced trapeze
dinghy performance and safety person on the continent in terms of
experience and thinking, and proceeded to introduce Steve to carry out the
Clinic. Steve's presentation took about 45 minutes and totally held the
attention of the attendees. It was a real achievement in an effort to
"stand down" and think about safety while racing in youth-oriented trapeze
classes.

Steve's presentation is highlighted as follows:http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/12/0105/

[NorCal]

I guess I'm not imagining how this is happening. Are the boats turtling?

[CutOnce]

Originally Posted by NorCal

I guess I'm not imagining how this is happening. Are the boats turtling?

Basically, when things go bad, they can go really bad. Stays, halyards, sheets and trapeze wires can get wrapped and twisted around a trap hook - and when the boat inverts that is a serious problem. A frequent scenario is tea bagging into a windward capsize, where the rig comes down on top of you. Capsizing to the leeward side is more controllable and you tend to fall on top of everything.

Disorientation is a real problem - in the bubbles and white turbulance of a 20 knot crash, which way is up? What direction do you go? Stupid things like thinking about lost sunglasses, lost hats and whatever can steal seconds from self rescue. Shock of cold water can be a problem as well.

Fast boats can get into amazing trouble when they crash - I've found myself with a tiller extension between my lifejacket and trap harness, with a spaghetti mess of line around my feet - and the boat starting to invert. I had to force myself to be calm and deal with one problem at a time - I ignored the line, cleared the tiller extension and then wriggled out of the spaghetti - and the boat inverted. Panic and I would have been a statistic. And I was on a singlehander in 25 knots of wind, with no one around as backup.

Optimizing your dress to minimize snags with a rash guard over everything, having a release-able hook and a quickly releasable life jacket is important. A lot of entrapments are made worse by lifejackets preventing you from swimming down out the mess - you can be "pinned" against an inverted deck by flotation.

Mast floats can be a huge problem as well as an asset. A winged boat or one with racks can blow downwind faster than you can swim if it doesn't invert. The "sail" area of all that increased righting moment can be a problem.

You have to consciously recognize that this is a reduced-safety activity and be prepared for trouble.

--
CutOnce

[NorCal]

CutOnce, thanks for the description. Guess in all my years of racing Hobie 16s I never had a close call with my trap harness. Wonder if the trap itself might be some of the issue?