Sprint15-specific insurance?

[Jaycb]

I remember Andrew mentioning a Sprint15 insurance policy last year - mine is up for renewal next week so if there is a bespoke policy available to members, could anyone let me know the details please?
Thanks.

[George Love]

Hi Jacyb,
Happy New Year!
If you look in the last copy of the Mag. you will see an ad. for W.H. Insurance - they are the guys to talk to - David Lloyd in particular.
They are also on the website under 'Links' at the bottom. You should find them cheaper and better than anyone else by a country mile.
Hope that helps.
Cheers

[Andrew Hannah]

You can phone David Lloyd to arrange a policy. His phone numbers are WORK: 02392 754000; MOBILE 07958 418145. Various discounts are available, eg if you have an e-mail etc.

David is very approachable and genuinely understands our needs as he is a cat sailor, himself. I'd recommend him to everyone. Nearly all the Thorpe Bay Sprints are insured through him.

[Jaycb]

Thanks Andrew & George,
I've emailed WH to request a quote - will let you know how it goes.
Cheers.

[Charles]

This may not affect you but only you are insured to sail your boat when insured through WHIC.

I was insured through them & it was the cheapest insurance I could get, but I like to be able to lend my boat to friends & prospective members.

Also if we want to swap boats to find out if it's the boat of the sailor who's quick/slow.

I'm not sure of the situation if the skipper was taken off the boat due to injury, would anyone be able to sail the boat back & be covered?

[Brian Phipps]

Hi Jaycb,
It is always good to get a few differnrt quotes , as the cheapest is may not be the best. Few ideas on questions
Who can use the use the boat?
What cover is avalible during winter months, (mast up / mast down)
Policy on replacement parts, new for old etc.
One of the other insurance companies that has strong links with cat sailing so understand the risks is :-
John Tuckwell
Towergate Mardon
john.tuckwell@towergate.co.uk
Tel: 01743 · 282 772
Ext: 105772
Hope that helpsBrian

[Steve Willis]

We have been insuring through John Tuckwell for ten years and have all three of our cats on one policy with the trolleys and trailers.

One claim about 7 years ago when both bows of our Dart 18 were damaged in a collision. All settled, boat repaired and back on the water within three weeks - excellent service from John.

I agree with Brian - read the policy inclusions and exclusions carefully before deciding and go for what matches your requirements.

In addition to his suggestions, if you are travelling look at cover for trailing / car topping / risks on the highway (third party cover - say if a hull hit another car). Also look at what requirements there are for securing your boat when not in use - both at home club and when travelling.

Steve

[David WH Insurance]

At WH Insurance, We are independant brokers and we deal with many different insurance companies. The wording for different companies is slightly different from one to another, but we can supply policies that cover all of the above points. (However most sailors do not want to pay for cover they dont need - for example many sailors do not need to keep their mast up all winter if they are not using the boat or loan their boat to a lot of different people - If they do usually thats fine, just tell us first) Our rates are very competative due to the large number of Sprints that we insure. We are not owned by an insurer - as many other brokers are, where there is no choice of insurance company. We actively support the class with sponsorship and offer a huge discount on premiums to association members. Myself (David) and Tim have both owned and raced Sprint 15s and therefore know the boat very well. Although we have a large network of repairers, Our preferred repairer within the fleet is Steve Sawford as he has sailed regularily in the fleet for many years and is known to all. At the Grafham inlands in October we had 2 repairs authorised with Steve within an hour of the collisions!
We can cover the mentioned scenarios - just phone us 02392 754000 or email david@dinghyinsurance.com or online quote www.dinghyinsurance.com

[Charles]

David

My appologies, a few years ago I was covered by WHIC & when I asked about other people sailing my boat I was told no policy was offered by WHIC to cover this.

Obviously things have changed at WHIC since then & when my policy comes up for renewal next I'll give you a call.

Thanks

[Steven Tunnacliffe]

David
So will Me and Ben, I was under the same impression as Charles, Ben and I swap boats, He seems to go faster than me on my old boat.

Nothing to do with age and ability though

[Jaycb]

Hi again. Just a quick update as promised.
I'd been originally quoted £104 to renew my RYA policy with Bishop Skinner.
David Lloyd at WH Insurance quoted me £52.50 for virtually identical cover, I have a £50 excess and it only covers me to helm the boat but that's not a problem.
This price was subject to membership of the Sprint15 association.
I'm sure you'll agree it's a stunning deal and leaves me wondering exactly why I bother with RYA membership....

[Steve Willis]

I would like to know what the position is in the following circumstances:

Helm (insured person) overboard or injured in bad weather and recovered to patrol boat / ashore.

PB crew sails boat back but boat gets damaged in shore break or hits breakwater.

I have had to sail members boats back on several occasions when they became exhausted or unable to climb back aboard in heavy seas and this is not covered by the club insurance for the PBs.

Steve

[Charles]

Probably more important is what would happen if the rescue boat crew was hurt as he brought the boat ashore & in the shorebreak.

Would the club's insurance cover him?

Would the boat's insurance cover him?

Or would he be assumed to have taken the decision to bring the boat ashore & accept the inherent risks this brings to any crew?

I don't think claiming salvage on most of our boats would cover the cost of a stay in hospital !!

[Steve Willis]

Agreed,

Strangely enough duty team insurance cover was discussed at our club committee meeting last Saturday and the extent of cover is being looked into as we speak, by our Vice Commodore.

I want to have something like a single sheet of paper that details what is and is not covered so the duty team knows what risks they face.

Steve

[Jaycb]

That's a very good point. I've always assumed that such actions would be covered by the club's own insurance - surely the undertaking of safety boat duties is covered by a specific type of insurance (ie "safety boat crew insurance"). If I found this was not the case I would not want to undertake such duties and indeed it wouldn't be fair to ask safety boat crews to put themselves in peril knowing they weren't covered by club insurance.
Going back to Steve's original scenario, if the owner were injured badly enough that they couldn't be put back aboard they're hardly in a position to argue the niceties of how their boat's recovered.
And if the conditions were that bad then surely the boat would be salvaged by towing in as close as safely possible to the shorbreak and just letting it wash ashore - if it got damaged the owner's insurance would pay up anyway wouldn't it?