Wearing a lifejacket 'not a personal decision'?

A report into the death of a sailor during the Newport Bermuda Race last year, has reopened the debate of whether wearing a lifejacket is a matter of personal choice.

In the conclusion to its report into the death of Colin Golder, who died when he went overboard from his Centurion 42 Morgan of Marietta, US Sailing commented: “It is often said that wearing such equipment is a ‘personal decision.’ We disagree. Any time a person goes overboard, the entire crew is at risk.

“For that reason, all crewmembers should be trained to actively promote safety requirements and standards, ensure that all crewmembers comply with them, and be prepared to challenge each other with respect to safety issues.”