IRB Racing - Racing to Rescue Lives

Inflatable Rescue Boat Racing is a surf lifesaving sport where lifesaving clubs field teams to race inflatable rubber boats in a competitive setting. Originating from Australia, IRB racing competitions are now being held in various other countries around the world including New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, the United States, France, and Germany.

IRB racing is comprised of a few simulated rescue situations; the primary aim of the competition is to improve the skills of the rescue workers. The rules of the competition vary from nation to nation but the standard set of rules that are now being enforced in international competitions are the Australian rules; which is quite fitting since that is where the sport originated.

The credit for the first club to develop the idea of IRB racing goes to the Soldiers Beach Surf Life Saving Club; they used the competition to hone their rescue skills to better protect their community. Conceptualized in the early 70s, the racing event was refined continuously until 1976, in which time the Surf Lifesaving Australia endorsed asset of IRB racing competition guidelines. Since then the sport continued to grow popular as surf clubs all across Australia adopted the sport.

The most popular event in IRB racing is the Surf Rescue. This event requires only two persons manning the boat; the driver and a crew person. The race simulates the most basic rescue mission, to pick up and rescue a single patient.

The race starts with the boat on the shore with its nose pointing out to the water. The patient is placed at approximately 140m out at sea. At the starting gun the driver and the crew member will drag the boat to the appropriate depth and then while the crew member holds the boat steady the driver will jump on and start the motor. When the motor is started then the crew member will board and hold onto a rope handle, in position to rescue the patient. Depending on the surf condition, the two team members will need to negotiate the waves, being careful not to let the boat topple over.

Once the boat is near the patient, about 10 meters, the driver will ease up on the gas while the crewman leans out on the pontoon at the port side of the boat, preparing to hook the patient with his left arm. When the patient sees the rescue boat approaching he will link both hands above his head in preparation for the crewman to hook onto him. In order to properly rescue the patient the driver must accurately position the boat in the perfect position to pull-in the patient out of the water. At the return trip to shore, the driver will have to beach the boat and then kill the engine, all three occupants of the boat will then have to disembark and dash furiously to the finish line.

The Surf Rescue event has both male and female categories, and is one of the most anticipated and intensely competed in even in the whole Surf Carnival.