Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
Sad news from the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race. Sarah Young, a British amateur sailor has died after being swept overboard by a wave while competing in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.
Saw that... She didn't clip in for some reason. That's two fatalities on that boat, which I saw had an all-amateur crew. From the conditions reported, it was probably lucky they found her at all.
Dave Bristle Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired), Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge
Saw that... She didn't clip in for some reason. That's two fatalities on that boat, which I saw had an all-amateur crew. From the conditions reported, it was probably lucky they found her at all.
I know very well people who have and do--for example in the Sydney-Hobart, the Trans-Atlantic, etc. They have rules--especially for night and storm conditions. We don't know what went wrong here, but something did. Hopefully a lesson will emerge. But no rules will absolutely prevent something like this on a racing sled out there in the North Pacific or the Southern Ocean--it's one reason most of us don't do that, or climb K2, or hike to the South Pole.
Dave Bristle Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired), Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge
"I know very well people who have and do" So... The answer is NO you don't know anything about racing in serious seas. Those of of us who have raced in serious seas and winds do not clip in at all times. This may be dangerous but alot of work has to be done on deck without restrictions. At night, of course but in daylight in the cockpit. Rarely.
I race frequently in wild conditions at night as well as in daylight, and in distance races as well as round-the-buoys. A well managed boat has SOPs. Among those SOPs for a distance race are, you clip in in rough weather, you clip in at night, you clip in when on deck alone. IMO, the best skippers enforce those SOPs. Most racers make some exceptions. You don't always clip on in mild conditions in daylight, especially while you're in the cockpit. I wear an inflatable pfd with harness, and have a whistle and strobe light attached, to help rescuers find me. She violated one or more of those SOPs and it cost her her life. At least two waves broke heavily into the cockpit and she wasn't clipped in. Recklessness is not a point of pride.
Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind" previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22 Past Commodore
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.