Why don't we skip OW swimming events and just start up triathlons under the USAT. We can make the swim leg longer and then right before the race cancel the bike portion because it's too windy. The run will be the 50 yd jog up the beach. Insurance costs would be much lower than with USMS although I have no idea how that is possible.
It is clear that the insurance company is part of the problem. Maybe with a year to shop around USMS can get better coverage for 2014. Maybe with more time USMS might come to the conclusion that the organization can't safely sanction/insure some OW swims.
Perhaps I was not clear in prior posts. USMS does not have discretion in some of the sanction requirements. This is one of them. The prop guard is another. These exist in order for USMS to offer insurance at all.
I have no idea how USAT gets their insurance, but it would be fascinating to know how their underwriter assesses risk.
Seems to me there's far more risk in lack of swimming competence or lack of preparation for conditions, than in a swimmer getting maimed by a boat propeller. USMS' insurer seems to have been only assessing the latter.
IMO, the swim leg of the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon is far more risky than, say, the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim. Both take place in crowded urban waterways, and MIMS is more than 10x the duration. However, the level of swimming competence & preparation of even the slowest MIMS swimmer is extraordinarily high because of the vetting process, while I'm not aware of any USAT vetting process for swim capability.
As another example, take the Kingdom Swim. The 6-mile qualifying swim for this event is, IMO, far more effective at reducing risk than requiring prop guards on all the motorboats. I doubt the latter reduces risk at all.
Why don't we skip OW swimming events and just start up triathlons under the USAT. We can make the swim leg longer and then right before the race cancel the bike portion because it's too windy. The run will be the 50 yd jog up the beach. Insurance costs would be much lower than with USMS although I have no idea how that is possible.
It is clear that the insurance company is part of the problem. Maybe with a year to shop around USMS can get better coverage for 2014. Maybe with more time USMS might come to the conclusion that the organization can't safely sanction/insure some OW swims.
Perhaps I was not clear in prior posts. USMS does not have discretion in some of the sanction requirements. This is one of them. The prop guard is another. These exist in order for USMS to offer insurance at all.
I have no idea how USAT gets their insurance, but it would be fascinating to know how their underwriter assesses risk.
Seems to me there's far more risk in lack of swimming competence or lack of preparation for conditions, than in a swimmer getting maimed by a boat propeller. USMS' insurer seems to have been only assessing the latter.
IMO, the swim leg of the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon is far more risky than, say, the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim. Both take place in crowded urban waterways, and MIMS is more than 10x the duration. However, the level of swimming competence & preparation of even the slowest MIMS swimmer is extraordinarily high because of the vetting process, while I'm not aware of any USAT vetting process for swim capability.
As another example, take the Kingdom Swim. The 6-mile qualifying swim for this event is, IMO, far more effective at reducing risk than requiring prop guards on all the motorboats. I doubt the latter reduces risk at all.
