(a) The turn and patient pick-up process shall be as follows for the rescue, mass rescue and teams rescue events:
(i) Crews must not steer a wide course or delay a turn that impedes the progress of another crew or forces them from their true course.
(ii) All buoys shall be turned anti clockwise and be maintained on the port (left hand) side of the IRB throughout turns. The buoy must not be forced under the pontoon during any part of a turn or patient pickup.
Note: For judging purposes should any buoy become submerged during a turn and/or patient pick up and does not pop up on the correct (port) side of the IRB the crew shall be disqualified.
(iii) The IRB shall fully turn the allocated turning buoy and proceed to the allocated patient pick-up buoy aligning the patient to the port side.
(iv) With the exception of the Rescue Tube Race (where the patient pick up procedure is described in the event rules), the patient will face towards the IRB in preparation for the patient pick-up. The patient’s hands must be clasped together or one hand held to the opposite wrist during the pick-up.
(v) The patient pick up shall commence on the seaward side of the patient pick up buoy. The driver and crewperson may both assist with the patient lift.
(vi) Once the patient pick-up has commenced, the IRB shall complete the turn pass back to the beach side of the patient pick-up buoy and return to shore keeping their turning buoy on their left hand side. In the mass rescue this procedure is repeated for the second patient pick-up.
(vii) The patient must be wholly clear of the water by the time the IRB has passed the crew’s IRB turning buoy (judged on the trailing edge of the motor) on the return to the beach
(viii) The IRB shall not turn around any buoy other than the allocated turning buoy and the allocated patient pick-up buoy.
(ix) If an IRB crew misses the patient pick-up they may continue to their respective turning buoy a second time, perform a 180 degrees turn around it and re-attempt the patient pick-up as described above.