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Vestas 11th Hour Racing Collision

Rick R.

Contributing Partner
Just when they were off Hong Kong and about to take 2nd place in this leg of the Volvo Around the World Race, our US skippered boat crashed into an unlit fishing boat.

http://wapo.st/2DtOB8b?tid=ss_mail&utm_term=.598a6cef730f
 

supersailor

Contributing Partner
When you are travelling at 20-30kn things happen fast particularly at night when a badly lit boat may not show up especially if it is imposed against a palate of shore lights. Even lightening fast reactions may not be quick enough. I can see this happening.

Also this is the Far East where even the US Navy can't keep its ships away from other ships.

Racing these "contraptions" is inherently dangerous. That said, Vestas seems to be particularly blessed with bad luck. :esad:
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Very Big and Very Fast Boats...

Apropos of the high danger involved, Back in the 80's our YC got a copy to show of a Whitbread race. There was exciting footage of racing in the southern ocean thru the middle of the night with the chute up. Bow wave was surging back to the mast base pretty commonly.

The footage of the racing, even in dim lighting, was scary and wonderful... in about equal parts.

Most of us have not forgotten the on-camera comment from one of the French crew, when asked the question "were you ever afraid when you were racing in the dark with ice bergs in the area?" His typical (very awesome!) French-racing-sailer reply: "When you are zee mee-dle of sex, do you theeenk of DYING??!!"

:rolleyes:

Appreciate the attitude, but have zero interest, then or now, in crewing on such a "contraption"...
:0
 

Rick R.

Contributing Partner
Loren - I hate to say it, but you are getting old.

I'm there, too.

You guys aren't old! Well maybe Metzger is :) but that's besides the point.

Last year in the race to Cuba we arrived at the finish off Havana at 4:30 am. It was a little scary seeing the unlit fishing boats all around.

Seriously, this is a terrible tragedy and we don't know who is at fault (probably both vessels to some degree). I imagine the fishing boat couldn't get out of the way of one of these things approaching at 20+ knots and mostly silent.
 

Teranodon

Member III
Sailing (and especially racing) at night sure is different. Many years ago I was crewing on a Beneteau First 42. We were returning to San Francisco Bay under spinnaker after rounding the Farallones. It was pitch black, foggy and cold. We were an experienced, fairly well-knit crew, but we screwed up anyway. The rudimentary GPS was set for Point Bonita, outside the Golden Gate. Sure enough, the lighthouse appeared suddenly out of the fog, and we were among the rocks at the base of the headland! The keel took a solid hit. We quickly drove up, but struck again before getting into clear water. It was probably the closest I ever came to being a sailing casualty. Still gives me the willies when I think about it.
 

Emerald

Moderator
Really feel it's different from the reef situation. In the final analysis, that seems to have been an error with the navigator, who was fired, not zooming into the electronic chart close enough to see the reef - didn't show at all zoom levels, and then not consulting paper charts as a check against the electronic ones, and if he had done that, he'd have seen the reef. This accident would seem to bare on the watchman and helmsmen, and I wouldn't dare make a judgement regarding their performance at this time given I know virtually nothing about what happened.
 

Tom Metzger

Sustaining Partner
I've had close calls with moored or anchored boats with no lights at night. I think it's a problem that the eyes don't stay focused out to infinity so you don't see the other boat, rock, whatever until you are right on top of it. You can be looking in the right direction, but don't see it.

And then there was the problem in the wee hours of the owner insisting that the Texas tower was a ship coming right at us. He called up all hands, changed course and it kept on coming. He insists to this day it was a ship. Scary out there at night.

And it's not always at night...

Fisherman Caught on Video Jumping into Water to Avoid Crash
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Before GPS we would put a person on the bow in the fog to listen for surf.

To this day, if you want to wake me up, just yell "Surf!"
 

supersailor

Contributing Partner
We still put someone in the bow in the fog. Old habits are hard to break.

Threading your way through the Victoria shoals in the fog is still nerve wracking even with radar and a superb chartploter. :0
 
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