An unusual yachting accident

William_H

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It is a bit sad to be reporting on people's misfortune perhaps even a shame that I am reporting, I hope not for entertainment but rather informing .
Our club had their annual "Rumble in the Reach" This is an event for sports boats like Viper run on a tight course in front of the club to be viewed from the club as a spectacle. With lots of wind this can be a real spectacle. One of our members sailing a Farr 25 (made in Turkey) he was sailing up wind when a competitor was passing going down wind very close. The viper must have lost control and the main sheet caught the skipper of farr around the neck and hooked him out of the boat. He was quickly recovered and taken ashore with serious neck/throat injuries. Looks like a few days in hospital for him. Not your usual kind of sailing accident but then again people have died in yacht race collisions. Now I don't know which boat was on which tack to determine fault but clearly there is a case for more clearance when passing. Perhaps this kind of sports boat madness is for the young. ol'will
Some pictures from 2020 Rumble for interest. https://www.efyc.com.au/gallery/
 
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rogerthebodger

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The pics of the 2020 Rumble look like some exciting sailing (except for the serious injury )

Any pics of yourself and your good lady in the club gallery.

All competitive sailing has been stopped but we can still go sailing on our own.
 

Concerto

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Great series of photos. Would have been better to see videos of the event.

Mainsheets can be nasty at times. I got caught in an involuntary gybe in strong winds and was thrown across the cockpit. The mainsheet caught me on the neck leaving a rope burn. This happened in 2016 whilst sailing singlehanded. Normally I hate taking selfies, but this was taken shortly afterwards in more sheltered waters so I could see the damage that I could feel on the skin.

IMAG1685.jpg
 

Leighb

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Mainsheets can be dangerous as said above, they can also be embarrassing. We saw a largish, about 38', yacht running down river from the Orwell bridge, with the ebb tide. He tried to pass too close to one of the buoys on his leeward side and the sheet snagged around the top mark. He was then held fast with the wind and tide loading the sheet. It took him quite a long time to sort it out. It is likely he had not seen the buoy behind the mainsail?
 

AntarcticPilot

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Mainsheets can be dangerous as said above, they can also be embarrassing. We saw a largish, about 38', yacht running down river from the Orwell bridge, with the ebb tide. He tried to pass too close to one of the buoys on his leeward side and the sheet snagged around the top mark. He was then held fast with the wind and tide loading the sheet. It took him quite a long time to sort it out. It is likely he had not seen the buoy behind the mainsail?
Been there, done that - sailing a half-decker on Hickling Broad when I was a teenager! Mainsail well out; caught one of the posts marking the channel.
 

Dan Tribe

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It is a bit sad to be reporting on people's misfortune perhaps even a shame that I am reporting, I hope not for entertainment but rather informing .
Our club had their annual "Rumble in the Reach" This is an event for sports boats like Viper run on a tight course in front of the club to be viewed from the club as a spectacle. With lots of wind this can be a real spectacle. One of our members sailing a Farr 25 (made in Turkey) he was sailing up wind when a competitor was passing going down wind very close. The viper must have lost control and the main sheet caught the skipper of farr around the neck and hooked him out of the boat. He was quickly recovered and taken ashore with serious neck/throat injuries. Looks like a few days in hospital for him. Not your usual kind of sailing accident but then again people have died in yacht race collisions. Now I don't know which boat was on which tack to determine fault but clearly there is a case for more clearance when passing. Perhaps this kind of sports boat madness is for the young. ol'will
Some pictures from 2020 Rumble for interest. Gallery
Sorry to hear about the accident and I hope he makes a swift recovery. The pictures show a lot of fun being had and a good few bruises as well. Something we hope to get back to in the UK, but that doesn't look too likely soon.
BTW. don't Aussies have a phrase "pull yer neck in!" ?
 

DownWest

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Sounds a bit nasty..
I was scratch crew in a Cadet a very long time ago on the river Lea. We were close winded when another boat ran passed us down wind. his boom end fitting caught our lee shroud and snapped the lashing. Nothing to do as we had to tack immedietly and the whole lot went over the side.
 

RJJ

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I saw a Daring dragged on her side in Cowes once. Tip of mast in spreaders of the close-hauled passing boat. She sank in about twenty seconds.
 

Resolution

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Mid week race in Hong Kong and my Impala was close hauled upwind up tide in very light airs. Down wind down tide a two tonner was washed down and her mainsheet ripped out most of our stanchions, one by one. The two ton owner, wealthy and nice Chinese guy , apologised as they went past "No momentum!" When we got back to the typhoon shelter where all the boats were moored, his boatboy came over and handed me the owner's business card. On the back he had scrawled "Send bill". What a great way to race!
 

William_H

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Sorry to hear about the accident and I hope he makes a swift recovery. The pictures show a lot of fun being had and a good few bruises as well. Something we hope to get back to in the UK, but that doesn't look too likely soon.
BTW. don't Aussies have a phrase "pull yer neck in!" ?
The very old saying is "pull yer head in mate" Meaning? almost anything you like by way of a put down. ol'will
 
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