By the Chase Leavitt service team · Portland & Ellsworth, ME · Updated November 2026

What ISAF Cat 1 means

ISAF — now World Sailing — categorizes offshore races by the seriousness of the conditions and the distance offshore. Categories run 0 to 4. The most common ones we work on:

• Cat 0 — Trans-oceanic (rare).
• Cat 1 — Long-distance offshore where boats may be far from shore-based assistance. Bermuda Race, Newport-Bermuda, Marblehead-Halifax, the Annapolis-Newport.
• Cat 2 — Offshore but with land-based rescue available.
• Cat 3 — Coastal racing.
• Cat 4 — Inshore.

The OSR (Offshore Special Regulations) lists what equipment is required for each category. Cat 1 has the most stringent equipment list. Boats sailing Newport-Bermuda are typically Cat 1.

The raft requirement

Cat 1 requires a SOLAS-approved life raft, sized for the full crew, serviced annually at a manufacturer-approved facility. The pack must include the SOLAS-A or equivalent contents. The raft must be stored where it can be deployed in 15 seconds.

Most Cat 1 rafts are 8-person to 12-person container rafts. Valise rafts are allowed but the storage requirement is strict — they need to be stowed where they can be deployed quickly.

Lead time

This is where boats run into trouble. A Cat 1 raft service runs 2 weeks at our shop in normal conditions, longer in spring rush. The Bermuda Race is in June. The math:

• Race start: mid-June
• Safety inspection: late May
• Raft must be back from service before inspection: mid-May
• Drop raft to us: late April at latest, earlier is better
• Working backward: send a quote request in March

Boats that wait until May to drop the raft routinely fail to get it back in time. We’ve seen Cat 1 raft service crash a boat’s qualification more than once.

Other Cat 1 equipment we service

Beyond the raft:

• Immersion suits — required for the entire crew on Cat 1 races. Annual inspection.
• EPIRB Cat I — required, registered to the vessel.
• PLBs for crew — recommended in OSR, often required by individual race instructions.
• AIS beacons — increasingly common on Cat 1 boats.
• MOB recovery system — LifeSling, throwable, lights, etc.
• Visual distress signals — flares, smoke, dye markers; must be unexpired.
• Storm sails — required for Cat 1; sail loft work, not us.
• Jacklines and tethers — separate inspection.
• Hand-held VHF — waterproof, with battery in date.

Paperwork inspectors want

The OSR safety inspector at the qualifying race will want to see paperwork for:

• Raft service certificate (current, manufacturer-approved)
• EPIRB battery date and registration
• Suit inspection certificates for each suit
• Flare expiration dates
• Vessel documentation

We deliver all of these in a single PDF when you get the raft back. Bring it to inspection. Inspectors love a tidy file.

After the race

If you sailed the race, the raft is fine. If you deployed the raft for any reason — even as a precaution — it has to come back to us for a full repack and recertification. Don’t try to use the raft for the next race or season without that.

If you used flares or other consumables in an emergency, replace them. We carry the standard offshore signal kits and we’ll restock you while you’re picking up the raft.