At offshore yacht racing level there is an ongoing debate at this week's ISAF World Sailing Conference in China over sensible safety – i.e balancing the risk against the cost and complexity of suggested changes. One topic this year that will incite debate is a Working Party proposal to remove the mandatory aspect of flare carriage, on the basis that this is already required by national government regulation in almost all flag states.

It is widely believed that this change will not pass, but that it does herald the future as pyrotechnics are replaced by laser flares or similar.