IRB racing

Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) Racing, is a surf sport where local surf lifesaving clubs submit teams to race IRBs under competition conditions.

Overview
IRB racing consists of different events designed to simulate actual rescue scenarios.

Since 2001, the rescue events included the basic surf rescue, the mass rescue, the tube rescue, a team relay rescue, and the assembly rescue. Each rescue is simulated by a team representing their particular club. For most events, a team usually consists of an IRB driver, crewperson, and patient. This is not the case with regard to the team relay, and mass rescue events (see below). Depending on club and team participation, events are run in heats, semi-finals, and final rounds. Teams are knocked out at preceding rounds according to their achieved placement in the race, thus preventing them from competing in the next round. Competition takes place at carnivals that are spread out over the off-season between the months of April through to July.

IRB racing is, fast, exciting and highly skilled. It requires an intimate knowledge of the boat, precision driving procedures, high levels of physical strength and fitness, as well as some plain good luck on the day.

Brief History
Soldiers Beach SLSC is regarded as the first club to develop the idea of racing IRB's under simulated rescue scenarios to assist drivers and crews to enhance their skills. Starting back in the early 1970s, the events were continuously refined until 1976 when Surf Life Saving Australia endorsed a set of IRB competition guidelines. IRB racing and competition flourished and grew in popularity with surf clubs from across Australia.

Since then, local clubs in each state have competed against each other at regularly scheduled carnivals throughout the season in preparation for the annually held state titles. Clubs that do well in state titles submit teams for competition in national titles or "Aussies".

Competition Safety Review
Due to mounting safety concerns relating to IRB racing, competition was suspended for a period of 2 years effective as from the end of the 2000/2001 season. During this time the rules applied to racing IRB's in competition were thoroughly scrutinised and reviewed. Eventually a new format for racing was presented for trial in the 2003/2004 season. The new rules have noticeably effected the procedures for starting and finishing of races, as well as craft launching procedures and patient head protection.

Previously, driver and crewperson started all races (minus assembly), behind a starting line approximately 5-10 meters from the shore line. The craft was positioned at the waters edge, nose facing away from the sea. Upon firing of the starters gun, the driver and crewperson would run up to the boat and swing it around, dragging it to an appropriate depth for starting. Since the review the rules call for the craft to be placed at the waters edge, nose facing out to sea and driver and crewperson now start the race standing outside of the boat but must be in contact with the craft. The driver must not be in contact with the motor in any way. After the starters gun fires, the driver and crewperson may proceed to drag the craft to an appropriate depth before driver jumps in and starts the motor to begin the race.

Patients must wear approved head protection to participate in any race. Patients must also be of a minimum age of 16 years and possess and be proficient in the bronze medallion and crewperson's certificate.

Scrutineering
In its simplest form, scrutineering is a way of standardising craft performance in order to make the competition fair and equally matched. Scrutineering involves the craft, the motor and accessories (including fuel type), being inspected and checked for compliance to the specifications outlined in competition guidelines. It is carried out by competition officials a few days prior to competition. No team may enter a craft into competition without it first passing scrutineering. Officials look for modifications to the motor, correct fuel type, and that all craft carry the minimum list of IRB accessories.

Marshalling
Marshalling is performed approximately 10 minutes prior to an event commencing to ensure all participating team members (driver, crewperson and patient) are present and accounted for. Any team or member failing to show up to marshalling before a cut-off time are disqualified from the race. During marshalling teams are allocated their own lane and designated buoy colour. After marshalling, all patients are taken to a craft termed the 'Duty Boat' which transports them to the buoys in their respective lanes.

Surf Rescue
The basic rescue is the simplest of all the races, requiring only one driver, a crew and the patient. This race simulates the most basic form of rescue, that is to pick up a single patient in trouble.

The race starts with the boat positioned on the shore line, nose facing out to sea. From the beach, the patient is placed to the right of a buoy positioned approximately 140 metres directly out from the shore. On initial firing of the starters gun, driver and crew proceed to drag the craft to an appropriate depth. The crewman holds the boat steady, allowing the driver to jump in and start the motor. The moment the motor fires up the crewman jumps up inside the boat and grabs the rope handle and positions himself ready for the patient pick up. The boat will now be in full operation and heading toward the patient as fast as possible. Depending on surf conditions, the driver and crew may need to negotiate breaking waves, in which the crew must clamber as far forward on the bow pontoon as possible to ensure the boat does not flip, and punches through the wave instead. Once the craft is within 10 metres of the patient, the driver will back the speed off slightly while the crewperson, leans out of the port side pontoon, preparing his left arm to form a solid hook. The patient readies themself just to the right of the turning buoy with both hands linked in a loop above their head. Precision positioning by the driver is required to ensure the craft comes up just next to the patient such that the crewman may hook the patient and pull them into the boat. The driver then turns sharply around the buoy and the entire crew prepares for a quick dash back to the shore by maintaining as low a profile as possible to lower any wind resistance on the boat. On return to the shore the craft will usually travel at top speed and will pop over or drive down the face of breaking or spilling waves respectively. As the craft hits the beach the driver must 'kill' or stop the motor before he exits the boat. On exiting a boat he must make a final dash to the finish line for placings.

The basic rescue is performed in both male and female categories and is the most anticipated and fiercely competitive event of the entire carnival.

Mass Rescue
The mass rescue event simulates a rescue in which more than one patient is in trouble. Hence, it requires more than one trip back to the buoy to complete the rescue.

The Mass Rescue consists of two patient pickups and a changeover in between (2 patients as opposed to 1 patient in the basic rescue). The patients are both situated at the pickup buoys (one in front of the buoy and one behind) with one being picked up during each leg of the race. The IRB travels around the buoy in an anti-clockwise pattern. The start of the Mass Rescue is the same as that of the standard rescue race. After the first patient is picked up, the crew returns to shore where the driver gets out of the boat after cutting the motor and putting it into neutral, they then run up the beach around a turning post and head back to the boat for the second leg. During the driver's run leg, the crewperson has to turn the IRB around to face the surf once again. The first patient also gets out of the boat at this time. Upon entering the boat for the second leg, the driver has to restart the motor, upon which the crewperson will re-enter the boat and take up position on the bow. The second patient will have manoeuvred into position behind the pickup buoy after the first pickup and the second leg should progress in the same as the first. Upon returning to shore the driver has to cut the motor, place it into neutral and run over the finishing line.

The Mass Rescue is an excellent test of a crew's strength and endurance.

Tube Rescue
The tube rescue simulates the act of rescuing a patient with the use of a flexible foam rescue tube.

Once again it consists of a driver, crewperson, and patient. In this race, two buoy's are positioned 25 metres apart in the water. The patient is placed at the buoy farthest away from the shore. The race starts in the same way as the basic rescue until the craft reaches the first buoy. On approach of the first buoy the driver will perform a complete anti-clockwise circle of the buoy. The crewperson will be ready with the lanyard of the tube looped over his body and at this point, shall disembark from the craft into the water to the right of the first buoy. The crewperson will proceed to swim towards the second buoy, trailing the rescue tube behind. On approach of the second buoy the crewperson will pull the tube and pass it to the waiting patient. The patient assists the crewperson by wrapping the tube around the front of their chest, then leaning forward so the crewperson may clip the two ends of the tube together. Once this is done, the crewperson swims around the buoy and heads back towards the first buoy and the awaiting driver and craft. The patient must now lean back and use their legs to kick the water as hard as possible to assist the crewperson in their return to the craft. Obviously this is the hardest leg of the swim for the crewperson and the more the patient assists by kicking, the lighter the drag is for the crewperson. During this time the driver will have been idling on the shore side of the first buoy awaiting the return of crewperson and patient. On their return the driver will assist the patient in getting in the boat as the tube must remain on the patients body until they are in the craft. The crewperson will climb into the craft and when both are in the boat, the driver must commence an anti-clockwise turn of the buoy before proceeding back to the shore. The finish is much the same as for the basic rescue.

The tube rescue is a true test of the crewpersons swimming fitness and strength. This race is very dynamic, as it does not always come down to the fastest craft or first team off the start line, often it is which crewperson is the stronger swimmer.

Team/Relay Rescue
the team rescue consists of two irb teams form the individual club, this involves 2 drivers, 2 crewpersons and 2 patients. the first or primary team starts the race in normal fashion and races out to pick up the first patient. when the first team hits the beach, as soon as the driver is out of the irb, the second crewy is aloud to run out to the irb and turn it around and drag it out to starting depth. the two crewies must have control of the duck at all times. While the crewies change over the driver from the primary team sprints up the beach to tag the second driver whom then sprints down the beach enters the boat and then proceeds to pick up the second patient.

Driver
The driver is the racer, the driver is responsible for the boat and the crewperson up front. not only does he have to look after the crewy, himself and the boat, he has to concentrate and judge the surf. The drivers job sounds easy, but, it is mentally challenging and it requires extreme dedication to be the fastest and the best racer. Driving requires the most skill and speed as well as endless hours practicing jumpin's, starts and finishes.

Crew Person
The crew person is commonly known as a "human bull bar" due to the physically demanding part they play in a race being at the tip of the boat as it punches through waves. the crew persons job is to add weight to the front of the boat and also manoeuver in such a way to keep the boat balanced and fast through turns. the crewpersons job requires a lot of balls so to speak, for it is physically demanding and often painful due to some of the landings endured in big surf conditions. the crew person also has to be fit and strong to do the pick up. Some also need to be good swimmers for the tube rescue!

Patient
the patients job is not a relatively hard one, but it requires a nerve of steal and a specific body type as well as a strong all round build. patients are often small so they are easier to do pick ups on and also because they also save weight in a race back to the finishing line which can be decided by milliseconds.