THE SEA IS DANGEROUS

If you've been following the news recently, you would have seen or heard that Levin Angsana an SMU student fell off a 24ft keelboat during training and went missing. He was found dead a few days later.

Now those w/o knowledge of the sport will quickly say that he should have worn a lifejacket or PFD. However, it is not a rule or regulation to wear one while training or racing. Just like how you do not wear a lifejacket when you board the bum boat to Ubin or any of the Southern Islands.

Why did National sailor Renfred Tay jump in?
The victim attempted to climb back up but failed. Wouldn't it have been better for the EXPERIENCED national sailor to stay onboard and take helm? Ordering the crew to throw the victim a lifebuoy (not lifejacket) when he failed to climb aboard while he performed a man-overboard drill.

Anyone who is lifesaving trained would know that what Renfred did was very risky. What ever happened to "Reach, Throw, Row"? As a non-swimmer the victim could have panicked and dragged both himself and Renfred down to the bottom. Drowning the hero wanna-be.

Who's fault?
If I were to blame anyone, I would blame it on the NSAs. All they do these days is try to promote their sport to amass numbers and get funding from the government. Giving attitude when other sports get equal shots at glory.

Why do I blame them?
For this simple reason, after making the sport more accessible they impose rules and regulations instead of promoting personal responsibility and using education.

For those who didnt read the report, the victim was putting in more hours, training to be a skipper. If he had any personal responsibility, he would have at least learnt how to swim!
The requirement to get the Sailing Level 1 is to swim 50m with a PFD. But you have to remember that you don't wear one on the keelboat.
He was a liability to all aboard the vessel.

And in typical cowboy, free-world fashion, his sister is planning on taking action against SMU. Oh, come on. Please don't make Singapore intoone of those places where you get sued for every damn thing.