News & Media

Volunteers from Marine Rescue NSW will again play a key support role in one of summer’s iconic events, the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Marine Rescue Units have traditionally provided operational support for the largest events on the NSW boating calendar, including the start of the Sydney to Hobart on Boxing Day, the New Year’s Eve fireworks and Australia Day festivities.

Fifty MRNSW volunteers on board 12 vessels from the Middle Harbour, Port Jackson, Cottage Point, Broken Bay, Botany Bay, Port Hacking and Hawkesbury units will provide operational support for the race start on Sydney Harbour.

Units along the South Coast will then assist in tracking the fleet down the coastline.

Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Stacey Tannos said Marine Rescue volunteers were on full operational alert for the peak boating season and would again play an important support role in the major Harbour events.

“Summer is, of course, the busiest time by far on our waterways as people take advantage of the long, warm days to get out on the water,” he said.

“We are stepping up our routine patrols and our volunteers are standing by to respond to any emergency.

“We are also pleased to support the members of the boating community enjoying the drawcard events by providing essential crowd control and other assistance.

“Our volunteers will be out on the Harbour on Monday to support the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and other services, including NSW Maritime, the NSW Police Force Marine Area Command (MAC) and Sydney Ports Authority.

“Taking part in events like these is good experience and training for our members. As well as their operational duties, they also get to spread the word about MRNSW and the great work we do to save lives on the water and promote safer boating,” he said.

Marine Rescue’s main roles on the Harbour on Monday will centre around crowd control and assisting the MAC with other on-water assistance, such as tows, helping broken down vessels and medical evacuations.

MRNSW vessels will patrol the exclusion zone set down the Harbour to give the fleet a clear run to the Heads and then follow the yachts out to sea for about a mile. Communications support will be provided from the MRNSW Sydney and Port Jackson radio units.

MRNSW units down the coast will track the fleet as it heads south, standing by to respond.

Members of Marine Rescue Eden will work over four days at their Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, joined by personnel from the CYCA, to monitor radio ‘skeds’ and other communications and act as a radio relay back-up until the last of the fleet has crossed Bass Strait.

Commissioner Tannos said members of the boating community could be assured that resources were still available from Marine Rescue, NSW Maritime and MAC to assist with emergencies on other major waterways during the big summer events.

He reminded boaties to log on and off with Marine Rescue NSW whenever they were heading out on the water this summer. For a full list of all volunteer Marine Rescue units in NSW, go to www.marinerescuensw.com.au