16ft Cat Mayday well SW of the Needles.

[Mark-1]

Looks like structural failure. He was a heck of a long way away from anywhere you'd expect that kind of vessel. Dinghy cruising or just very long reaches due to the rocket ship speed? (I confess I've done that on windsurfers - loads of fun and you're suddenly 3 miles out.)

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[Chiara’s slave]

Looks like structural failure. He was a heck of a long way away from anywhere you'd expect that kind of vessel. Dinghy cruising or just very long reaches due to the rocket ship speed? (I confess I've done that on windsurfers - loads of fun and you're suddenly 3 miles out.)

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Hit something then. Structural failure on a modern dinghy catamaran is a ‘never happens’ event just by sea and wind. Rig failure due to mast inversion is possible, you have to ease both sails at once in survival conditions, but breaking up? That’s a first.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

From the Solent Rescue page:

 

[capnsensible]

FAIB will have this sorted by 1330.

 

[dunedin]

From the Solent Rescue page:

View attachment 200940

Difficult to interpret that picture, but can anybody determine from this what type of catamaran it is/was? I can’t identify it.
As Chiara says structural failure of a recognised class catamaran is virtually unheard of (though dropping a rig or other gear failure can happen).

 

[MikeBz]

Crossbeam failure or detachment due to lack of maintenance or previous damage is more likely than a collision with an unidentified floating object - that would possibly hole a hull or break a centreboard or rudder. Very odd looking hulls especially the rounded shape at what I’d guess as being the aft end, and what appears to be a centrally mounted rudder. Some sort of inflatable?

 

[MikeBz]

… striking similarities with Ducky 16 Inflatable Catamarans apart from the lack of a stripe.

 

[mjcoon]

… striking similarities with Ducky 16 Inflatable Catamarans apart from the lack of a stripe.

The sentence in that description/specification "At peak loads, pipes can rotate in joint units," describing the frame, might match the photo of the two hulls at angles...

Edit: actually the word used is "floats", not "hulls". Maybe "hulls" would sound altogether too architectural!

 

[Chiara’s slave]

The sentence in that description/specification "At peak loads, pipes can rotate in joint units," describing the frame, might match the photo of the two hulls at angles...

That does look very much like that. Not sure I’d wish to be out by the Needles on one. It’s either windy and rough, or else not enough wind to make against the tide.

 

[Tranona]

If it is one of those, note it is RCD CAT D - Inland or sheltered waters only! another candidate for the Darwin award maybe.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

We don’t know if the sailor planned to be there. Bit early to criticise IMHO.

 

[dunedin]

… striking similarities with Ducky 16 Inflatable Catamarans apart from the lack of a stripe.

Great spot - I too thought looked like an inflatable and had odd rudder locations, but had never heard of a Ducky 16.
Certainly seems an ambitious route for a rather unusual boat.

 

[Tranona]

We don’t know if the sailor planned to be there. Bit early to criticise IMHO.

Described as being SW of the Needles - long way from anywhere that might be described as inland or sheltered waters. Could not have got there unintentionally. Last Saturday morning was a bit spicy or as the report said "challenging conditions" Thank goodness for rescue services

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Yup agreed. My point was that if the craft had suffered unexpected partial disassembly then they might be way off any expected position by the time a rescue was mounted.

 

[Mark-1]

… striking similarities with Ducky 16 Inflatable Catamarans apart from the lack of a stripe.

Good spot, got to be one of those. Central rudder and the shape are pretty conclusive.

 

[winch2]

Hard to believe in the conditions that they were sailing that the other side of the Needles. With the strong tides it could have easily drifted out from way within the Solent.

 

[fredrussell]

FAIB will have this sorted by 1330.

Ha! I love the idea of a FAIB. Brilliant!