An AED for everyone

Regardless of the type of boat you sail, the sport of sailing has changed a lot during this generation. Nowhere is this most evident that in the support category. There was a time when seeing the sailmaker’s van in the parking lot meant the event was a biggee. Nowadays, support tents and trailers from all facets of equipment providers might be onsite, plus competitors often now bring their own supply trailers (and let’s not even start talking about coach support). Businesses have also emerged to act as a liaison between competitors and the services needed, providing the supplies of the manufacturer along with the skills of local support.

One of these such businesses is Sail22, LLC, a company geared toward providing the coordination for everything from boat delivery to rigging, coaching to crew gear, dinner reservations to team chefs, team fitness, photography and event housing. However, it is a new item on their service list that might be setting them apart from the crowd: first aid. Sail22 has teamed up with a company called First Responder Educational Services, and they now have an AED (automatic external defibrillator) among the supplies in their support trailer.

With racecourses well removed from the traditional emergency medical response system, Sail22 is working to fill this potentially dangerous void. Given that a heart attack can happen anywhere, Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) with defibrillation (shocking the heart to restart it) can increase survival of a heart attack by 45-75% if it occurs within 5 minutes of the event. By making their AED available at events, and in offering to train Race Committees and yacht clubs in how to use it at no cost, they hope to achieve their goal in educating sailors about the necessity of on-the-water first aid.

Look for Sail22 at the next Etchells Jaguar event, Acura Miami Grand Prix, Farr 40 Worlds, and the Annapolis NOOD. Click here for additional details.