Crew thrown overboard as racing yacht sinks

[rich]

FOUR sailors were thrown overboard when their yacht capsized and sank in St Aubin’s Bay yesterday morning.

Veteran yachtsman Darren Stower was taking part in a yachting regatta when his quarter-tonne boat, MicMac, sunk east of Belcroute Bay at about 10 am.

Two other men and one woman – all reportedly experienced sailors – were on board along with Mr Stower at the time, but no one was injured in the incident.

Darren says
Sailing for 30yrs & brought some boats back broken but never not at all until today. Lost my quarter tonner to :-(( Worst day sailing ever..

Today tue,Micmac is up and tied on number 5. Broken mast and rudder but she is solid and we have beaten the bad weather.

 

[Talulah]

I misread that. "Thrown overboard". Who did that? Then I realised it was "fell overboard".

 

[Topcat47]

Me too. I thought "we've all wanted to do that, sometime."

 

[rich]

I have tried to edit (thrown), but it wont let me,

 

[wotayottie]

I've heard of crews in the past doing just that - crew thrown overboard at the end of the beat and before the final spinny run. To be picked up by a support boat of course. I dont think the rules allow it these days - in any case most of my crew would sink.

 

[Shorn100]

A bit cold for a swim - all wearing lifejackets?

What caused the capsize? Operator or equipment error?

Shorn

 

[Zagato]

Small boat, forecast not so good surely

 

[LadyInBed]

What is the boat?
It looks to be about 27ft.

 

[EuanMcKenzie]

1/4 Tonner racing boat by the look of it!

 

[michael_w]

Early Bruce Farr 727 quarter ton. Shame.

 

[markhomer]

they are known for it , unpleasant side effect of ior rule penalising stability in those days

 

[rich]

I have just recieved this from Darren

Hi Everybody,

For all who have kept up to speed with this weeks JEP or have heard down the hobie grape vine.

We were sailing Rachaels and my quarter tonner on Sunday in the last of the Frostbite series. Onboard was Mike, Yvonne and Jonty Gales. We were rolled over by a wave during a spinnaker hoist. Unfortunately the story gets quite long here, but we got swamped by a wave coming into the cockpit of the boat where we had to abandon the boat and let her go down.

We were pick up by a passing motor cruiser (Peglinde) owned by a gentleman called Ian Mitchell. We were very lucky that nobody was injured although very cold.

I know a lot have people have text me after reding the JEP or hearing of our misfortune but my phone went down with the boat and now I am receiving the texts, I do not know who they are from as there are no names on my new sim although the same number.

Micmac was lifted Monday by the Duke of Normandy (States Tug) and will be taken out of the water by my insurers on Friday to be assessed.

Thanks again for everybodys kind words and I hope to see you all soon.

Darren
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