Q: I am not a regatta organizer. I just want to borrow a friends boat for a few days, how can I get insurance for this?

A: WARNING: If you are not a Regatta organizer, this insurance is unavailable to you.  If you are an individual borrowing the boat of a friend or acquaintance, this insurance is not for you.  We will not cover any boat not applied for by the Regatta organizer.  No Exceptions.

The majority of Individual Boat and Yacht Policies automatically extend their insurance to borrowers of the boat, as long as they have the owners' permission to use it. Most likely you do not have to do anything except go sailing (the owner should read his/her policy or check with his/her agent for the answer). As far as we know, there are no insurance companies willing to provide Boat or Yacht Insurance on the borrowed basis for individuals (who are not the owners) on the temporary basis.

Q: If we arrange to give the owner of the boat a sail for use of their boat, is that a Borrowed Boat or a Chartered Boat?

A: It is a Chartered Boat. Any payment of value is considered a charter.

Q: I see that my organization must purchase The David Agency Regatta Liability insurance in order to get access to this amateur borrowed or chartered boat coverage, how do I do that?

A: Follow this link to the Regatta Liability Application.

Q: How do I get the deductible lowered?

A: You don't. The deductibles are set based on the value of the boat.

Q: How is the value of the boat determined?

A: The Event Chair determines the value with each boat owner. The Boat Value Amount you identify must insure the boat to value. What this means is, that you can not put down a $30,000 amount for a boat that is truly worth $60,000, as you’ll need to put down the actual value of a boat.

Q: What is the deadline for applying?

A: Envelope with premium check and application, must be postmarked, or post mark cancelled by the U.S. Post Office, no later than the first date of the event.

Q: Does this insurance cover liability of injuring people or damaging other boats?

A: No.  You'll need to purchase Excess Protection and Indemnity Insurance separately for this.

Q: Does this insurance cover the borrowed boat for physical damage only?

A: Yes.

Q: Should we sign the competitors up for Excess Protection and Indemnity Liability Insurance for boats Borrowed?

A: Maybe. Many Personal Insurance Companies (Home, Condo, Apartment, Yacht) extend the liability to boats that are borrowed. Each individual should check with their personal agent to determine if they have borrowed sailboat liability. If they are unsure at registration, sign them up.

Q: What is the most difficult problem you deal with?

A: Legibility of the applications. Some times we need to call you back with clarification questions to help you out. When applying, please write clearly and complete all answers.

Q: How do I file a claim with this program?

A: The Event Chair is the only one eligible to file a claim in this program. He or she must fax or mail a description of the incident, including answers to the following questions: Who was involved, what happened, when, where, along with a copy of the estimate of repair and, if a protest was heard, a copy of the protest decision. With this complete information, the majority of the time, we can authorize that repairs get started quickly. Send to:

Glenn T. McCarthy, AAI
The David Agency
385 North York Road
Elmhurst, IL 60126
Phone (630)592-5314   |   Fax: (630)516-0700