Regulatory & Technical Services Group

Save the Date - An Evening with RATS

Save the date for an evening with the CA’s Regulatory & Technical Services group (RATS) at 1900 GMT hours on Thursday 21 March 2024.

RATS will delve into the current hot topics that may impact your upcoming cruising and share practical advice. Members and non-members are invited to attend, either in-person at CA House, London or virtually via Zoom.

An Evening with RATS

Date: 
Thu, 21/03/2024 - 19:00

The CA's Regulatory & Technical Services group (RATS) will be holding their fourth annual seminar to provide an update on current topics of interest to cruising sailors. The presentation will be a series of short (5 to 15 minute) presentations. The current list of topics is below. This event, which you can attend live at CA House or watch via Zoom, is open to all.

Topics will include the following:

Cruising Association releases new research library on orca interactions

Since the launch of its orca project in June 2022, the Cruising Association has received around 150 reports from skippers who have experienced an orca interaction.

Orca incidents now being seen in the Mediterranean

A number of orca incidents have now been recorded east of Gibraltar using the GT Orcas app, including one off Ceuta which caused extensive damage, and another south of Marbella, both of which have also been reported to the CA. This is new behaviour by the orcas this year, as previously they have only been involved in incidents in Atlantic waters.

Spanish Ministry advises motoring away from orcas to shallow water

If you are sailing in areas where orca incidents have occurred, the Spanish government is now advising that you should navigate as close to the coast as is safe, and in the event of an interaction, motor away as fast as possible towards shallower waters "until the orcas lose interest".

Worldwide participation in CA webinar on ‘Orca and Yachts: Fact, Fiction and Fear’

In a strong display of international interest, the CA webinar on ‘Orca and Yachts: Fact, Fiction and Fear’ attracted a live audience of over 450 participants from 37 nations, spanning all continents.

Cruising Association launches updated 'orca information and reporting' portal

The Cruising Association (CA) has launched an updated online portal and web pages for orca information and reporting, the result of a year-long effort to gather and analyse data on orca interactions.

Cruising Association hosts free webinar on ‘Orca and Yachts: Fact, Fiction and Fear’

The Cruising Association (CA) is hosting a free webinar for members and non-members on ‘Orca and Yachts: Fact, Fiction and Fear’ at 1900 hours BST (1800 hours UTC) on Thursday 18 May 2023.

Orca and Yachts: Fact, Fiction and Fear (free webinar)

Date: 
Thu, 18/05/2023 - 19:00

You are invited to a free CA Zoom webinar which is open to members and non-members.

John Burbeck, member of the CA Regulatory & Technical Services group (RATS) and lead of the Orca project group, will share insights through a presentation which will cover current understanding gained from experiences in 2022 and 2023, data and analysis on orca interactions, reporting an interaction or uneventful passage, orca tracking, orca location maps and more.