New keel check rules for 2022

A change to World Sailing’s Offshore Special Regulations (OSR) means that as of 1 January 2022, all yachts competing in OSR Category 0 through to Category 3 must have been inspected by a qualified person within 24 months of the start of the race or after a grounding, whichever is later.

The new requirements, aimed at focussing attention on keel safety, have been brought in after several high profile incidents of keel and rudder losses that have affected both new and old yachts, cruising and racing designs.

The structural inspection instructions from World Sailing specify for the work to be conducted by a qualified person with the boat out of the water, and include checks for visible stress cracks around the keel, hull/ keel attachment, hull appendages and other stress points, backing plates, keel bolts and keel floors. A visual inspection such as this every two years is designed to ensure potential problems are noted and then repaired before they become serious.

Besides the two-yearly checks, the OSR update specifies that ‘an appropriately qualified person shall conduct an internal and external inspection after each unintentional grounding.’ What constitutes a ‘qualified person’ has not been defined within the OSR.

The new rules affect races that are deemed Category 0 (trans-oceanic) through to Category 3 (open water close to shore). For example, the 2022 OSTAR and RORC Round Britain and Ireland races are both Category 1.

Following this change in regulations and numerous enquiries from its members on how best to comply, the RYA has launched a framework of support for yacht racers and owners. It now has a dedicated page on its website to allow owners to demonstrate to organising authorities that they are compliant.

The website includes a map to find a local inspector who can conduct the checks to a scope set by the RYA, based on the OSR requirements, at a reasonable cost to owners. There is also a guide to pricing (from £35 per metre for 10-15m yachts rising to £45 for 2124m yachts).

See rya.org.uk/racing/technical/osrinspections for more.