ADDENDUM TO LAKE HARRIET YACHT CLUB

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS


LHYC COVID-19 Safety and

Racing Protocols and General Release

        The Lake Harriet Yacht Club would like to ensure our members get the most enjoyment of our sailboats and racing  while exercising common sense mitigation practices against the spread of COVID-19. We must count on each member  to adopt a mindset of prevention to protect themselves and others, both around Lake Harriet and the greater community, against unnecessary exposure. The following protocols are being issued to raise awareness to information  already available through various relevant sources and to encourage consistent application of these guidelines by our members to promote safe and enjoyable sailing and racing. In order to participate in LHYC sponsored activities, members are required to follow these protocols.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS

  1. Before you leave home – Make sure you and members of your household are feeling well. If you have any doubts that you may be sick with Covid-19 or are experiencing any flu-like symptoms, you are not allowed to participate in LHYC activities.
  2. If you are in good health and decide it is appropriate to go sailing, make sure you are prepared to take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and other household members sailing with you by following these guidelines. Please understand that participating in LHYC activities is your personal decision and there is a risk that you will be exposed to people, surfaces, or environments where COVID-19 is present.
  3. Use disinfecting products – Disinfecting products should be used on surfaces that regularly come in contact with lots of people, especially those not from your household. It is the responsibility of each member to supply and use these products for each sailing excursion. LHYC will try to have disinfecting products available, but it cannot guarantee that the products will be available. You should consider using disinfectants on the following surfaces:

  • Tenders – Disinfect surfaces you will be touching, before and after each use. This should include oar handles, sides of the tender, seats, or anything else you touch.
  • Club boats – Disinfect areas you will be touching, before and after each use. This should include the paddle, blocks, tiller, cam cleats, cockpit seats and other surfaces with which you will come into contact.
  • On the dock – Consider that horn cleats on the dock will be used by others so take that into consideration.
  • Buoys, anchors, and other racing equipment
  • Any other areas you’ll be touching

  1. Washing of hands – Hand washing with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds is the best way to stop germs from spreading.  Be aware, however, that some park facilities, including bathrooms, might have limited accessibility, so plan accordingly.  An alternative to hand washing is to use hand sanitizing solutions that are at least 60% alcohol.  Wash or sanitize your hands as much as necessary after touching surfaces.  Use common sense, err on the side of caution, and reference the resources below for additional information.


  1. Use of gloves – Using gloves creates a barrier between your hands and the surfaces you’re touching. For this reason, we’re asking all our members to use full-fingered gloves to decrease the amount of exposed skin that comes in contact with surfaces. Even full-fingered, our typical sailing gloves are porous, which makes them not the most effective barrier. Consideration should be given to gloves with a rubber lining such as some gardening gloves, which provide a better barrier against viruses. Again, think about protecting yourselves and others.


  1. Use of masks – Wearing a mask does not necessarily protect you from others who may spread the virus. Masks can help prevent your germs from infecting others, especially if the possibility exists that you’re infected but show no symptoms. In the interest of protecting others, we require sailors to follow MN Department of Health and CDC recommendations to wear a cloth mask (at minimum) over the nose and mouth in public places, such as the dock, where it is hard to stay 6 feet away from others. As stewards of Lake Harriet it is our responsibility to set an example for those in our community.

  3. Social distancing – The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, who oversees Lake Harriet, has issued the now familiar CDC guidance of maintaining at least 6 feet from others at all times. Members of your own household can be inside the 6-foot bubble. Keep this in mind as you are:
  • Walking on the dock – The dock is narrow and passing others may not be possible while keeping 6 feet apart. Take into account that there could be non-sailors on the dock.  Not everyone may be as courteous as you.  Communicate your intentions so everyone is comfortable with the situation.
  • Rigging boats – Remember to allow plenty of space between your boat and others on the dock. Don’t create a situation where your boat is within 6 feet of another and don’t allow others to do the same.  Be reasonable and communicate with others.
  • – Maintain proper distance while sailing. This also means no rafting of boats and allowing only one boat per mooring or buoy.
  • Large gatherings – LHYC Members will follow State of Minnesota guidelines and be mindful of appearances.

  1. Report if you have been confirmed with COVID-19 – If you or anyone in your household have been confirmed with COVID-19, please contact the club immediately at commodore@lhycsailing.com



RESOURCES

The following resources provide reliable information about existing guidelines that influence our actions on Lake Harriet.  These resources are only a sampling and we encourage our members to browse these and other reliable resources to increase awareness.

We highly encourage everyone to take responsibility for their own safety and those of their households.  These guidelines are intended to provide commonsense precautionary measures to mitigating exposure risk, but they are not a guarantee to preventing infection.  We hope that through everyone’s attentiveness to these guidelines, and a strong sense of personal responsibility, we can have an enjoyable and safe summer of sailing.  The LHYC board will continue to monitor Park Board and MN State recommendations and will adjust our guidelines accordingly.



RACING PROTOCOLS

    • Two safety boats will be scheduled for each race day, but only one safety boat will be used for taxi service. The non-taxi safety boat operator may decide to assist in taxiing. Members are encouraged to arrive early and use a tender or a personal inflatable raft to get to their buoy. While taxiing, only 1 passenger (in addition to the safety boat operator) is allowed on the safety boat, and that passenger is required to sit on the front bench of the safety boat. Two passengers are allowed only if they are from the same household/pod and both passengers sit on the front bench of the safety boat. Masks are required at all times while taxiing.

    • Races will be conducted per the guidelines of the sailing instructions. For general reference, races will be run as was done pre-COVID. This will include standard 5-minute starting sequence.

    • All of LHYC’s existing series will be scored per the approved schedule and sailing instructions.

    • MC Class wind limits shall be used if there are 2 safety boats available for a race. Should only 1 safety boat be available, then the wind limit for a race is sustained 15 mph.

    • A safety boat must have two volunteers.

    • Racers are encouraged to bring their own VHF radio as the bullhorn may or may not be used.

    • All registered racers are required to perform Safety Boat or Race Officer Duty, per the sailing instructions. However, special dispensation will be granted to racers who are unable or unwilling to perform such duties. Any such requests should be directed to Commodore Joe Fricton, josiahfricton@yahoo.com, 651-357-7918.

    GENERAL RELEASE

    You understand and agree that the Lake Harriet Yacht Club cannot completely eliminate the risk of contracting COVID-19. By participating in LHYC sponsored activities, you HEREBY WAIVE AND RELEASE ANY AND ALL CLAIMS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AGAINST THE LAKE HARRIET YACHT CLUB, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, OR TRUSTEES AND ITS COMMITTEE MEMBERS, JUDGES, AGENTS AND REPRESENTATIVES ARISING OUT OF THE ACTIVITIES REQUIRED FOR THE RACES ON THE WATER, AND DOES FURTHER COVENANT AND AGREE NOT TO SUE OR TO BRING ANY CLAIM OR CLAIMS OF ANY NATURE WHATSOEVER AGAINST THE HOST ORGANIZATION(S) OR ANY OF THE PERSONS AND OFFICES NAMED, OR UNNAMED, ABOVE WHO MAY BE ACTING ON THE HOST(S)’ OR ITS/THEIR BEHALF.

    LHYC Safety and Racing Protocols Version 2021-03-09

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