Update
absolutely not trying to be the fun police here, and suggesting that people stop what they are doing – as the fast, furious or edgy stuff is exciting and makes the days memorable and fun. I will never, ever, free dive again, but if you do, how about refresh-
ing your buddy system, the key signals and oversight tactics? Maybe it is time to replace that bike helmet for something up to date? And if you are off helping with a boat delivery this summer, how much is a small personal EPIRB, or a new strobe light, or a pocket hand- held VHF – a gift from you to you? And what about a small personal waterproof grab bag to put it
in? If you are hanging onto the stump of a keel on an upturned hull in the darkness (remember Rambler, and just how close that was…), then the crackly sound of a human voice from a trawler, yacht or nearby cargo ship over your handheld is a game-changer. And if they are coming for you – they are going to have to talk to you. Or if you are thinking of heading off for a hike on holiday and it is over 30°, maybe take your phone, just so the authorities can find you if stuff happens. Because we all know that stuff happens. Keels fall off boats in
These rescues all went well, no doubt helped in part by the Safety at Sea training requirements for Bermuda race participants. A couple of weeks later and seven time zones east at the Aegean
600 an incident occurred in relatively benign conditions. Late on day two the team onboard their chartered Pogo 44 Heaven were heading south from Santorini towards Kasos in 16-18kt and struggling with a wrapped spinnaker. One crew was forward trying to deal with the problem and asked for help, another crew member emerging from down below to assist. Neither was clipped on. Shortly afterwards both were tossed overboard and the remaining crew went into action to retrieve them. After a reported seven to eight minutes the team first got to crewman Anna Konontchouck, who was severely injured by what’s thought to have been impact with one of the boat’s twin-rudders. The other crew was rescued unharmed. Despite concerted efforts by the team onboard, Anna’s severe
injuries and blood loss were simply too much, and she soon passed. The news shocked all involved with the race, with a sombre tribute paid at the closing ceremonies. And then… during a fast downwind 115th edition of the Chicago-
Mackinac Race Jim Murray’s J/125 Callistoalso had a MOB incident in a stormy night during a spinnaker takedown. The lake was full of boats, with 250 entries this year. ‘We had been tracking some big cells, had the A4 up, then the breeze dropped enough for us to put the A2 back up,’Murray said afterwards. The Callisto team were highly experienced, with thousands of miles including multiple Transpacs – two of the crew have been Transpac winners. ‘It got cool as the cell collapsed and then the breeze shifted to
where we needed to get the A2 down so we set up for a letterbox takedown. Shawn Dougherty was in his position in the pit to drop the halyard. Everyone had a harness on and was clipped in. Shawn briefly unclipped to move aft to help gather the sail.’ They then got a big shift, the helmsman bore off to get the kite
further behind the main, and Shawn fell off the boat. The well- practised team went into their familiar MOB procedures, including Shawn whose safety gear had an inflatable PFD, beacon and strobe. The sail was entangled and got cut away in the process of getting the boat turned around. ‘We could see him throughout,’ said Murray, ‘and even though
Reprobates… the line-up for the 1979 New Zealand Match Racing Championships. Rod Davis in yellow T-shirt; behind Rod is Ben Lexcen (it will be three years before Lexcen creates Australia II); Jim, later Sir Jim Hardy (back right); California match racing legend Dick Deaver (front right) and the future Commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron… then less respectable Richard Endean sits bearded and brewski in hand in the centre
the night, dogs run in front of mountain bikes on distant hills, and things don’t always go to plan underwater. So perhaps have a think and quiet review of the things you do that are hard-core, or edgy, or off-piste. And maybe fill in any gaps, and save your own life.
COMPLACENCY IS A KILLER – Dobbs Davis This summer’s offshore season seems to have had an unusual number of incidents worthy of note. The biennial Newport-Bermuda was a success in attracting its usual wide spectrum of designs, with 162 starting in Newport and 147 arriving in Bermuda. But of the 15 that retired, two sank, in rough but not terrible conditions: the J/122 Alliance with rudder damage and the Sweden Yachts 41 Gunga Din, abandoned due to unexplained water ingress. Both crews were safely picked up by other teams. Another entry, the Nielsen-designed 50ft sloop Solution, built
in oak, mahogany and bronze by Paul Luke in 1963, was also aban- doned on the return delivery due to massive water ingress, once again in rough but not terrible conditions. The boat’s pumps could not keep up, so the crew were taken off by the US Coast Guard.
20 SEAHORSE
we quickly stopped he was already about 400 yards away by the time we could get turned around safely. We had radio contact with nearby entries, John Hoskins’ Santa Cruz 52 Madcap was half a mile behind and quickly responded, smoothly picking Shawn up fortunately without any major injuries. ‘We discussed trying to transfer Shawn back onboard to finish
the race but decided this was too risky, so he finished the race on Madcap. From rescue to racing again was reckoned to be about 20 minutes. For their fast, safe and efficient response the Madcap team were awarded US Sailing’s Arthur B Hanson Rescue Medal. Lessons learnt? Besides ‘sh%#t happens’ to even the most
experienced teams, the safety training seems to be working well. This race in particular has had some terrible accidents in its past and, along with Bermuda, has served to develop many of the current protocols for safety in the US. All but one of the incidents discussed fortunately ended without
loss of life, but by any measure that list is way, way too long for such a short timespan. Reflect on that.
HARD RACING AND BROKEN BOATS – Patrice Carpentier The fight was intense from beginning to end as 23 Class40s, crewed by three or four people, raced the 10th edition of the Transat Québec-Saint Malo: all Scows with the exception of just two older ‘sharp noses’. Two options were taken after rounding Cape Race south of
Newfoundland, after a slow-motion descent of the St Lawrence River, for the Atlantic crossing. Most of the favourites went north while others chose a route further south closer to the direct route. For a while the southerners occupied the top of the standings, then soon after halfway we saw the return of the northerners – pushed along very fast by a burly front. This is where Sogestran-Seafrigo
ROD DAVIS ARCHIVE
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