Gerry
Well-known member
terrible news from the Clipper Race, http://clipperroundtheworld.com/news/article/andrew-ashman-fatal-injury-official-statement
Death on Clipper Race
- Thread starter Gerry
- Start date
Viking
New member
Very sad! First report say he was hit by the Main sheet and boom. Similar thing happen to me only is week. After completing in our local Tuesday evening regatta. Runner under a reefed main, back to the marina I was preparing to do a 'controlled gibe' (winds 16-19kts, boat speed 8.4kts) facing the main sheet winch (aboard a Arcona 400) the skipper who should have known better, caused a crash gibe taking two crew plus the main sheet into me. I hit the winch, head first! I now have a two large cuts healing on my sore forehead. I was lucky! Feel very sorry for his family, friends and crew!
N.B. I was a last minute crew, on the boat for the first time, as my own skipper/boat could not make the regatta!
N.B. I was a last minute crew, on the boat for the first time, as my own skipper/boat could not make the regatta!
tcm
...
Not QUITE the same in that this was offshore, whilst racing, in a much bigger boat, and (biggest difference) you've got some cuts and he's dead. So it's not very appropriate that you rabbit on about "me, me, me" in such a thread, is it? No.
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horatio_nelson
New member
Terrible news 
ribrage
Active member
+1
Tintin
Well-known member
Very sad news indeed. Andrew was experienced and a really nice guy. We met several times during the training this summer, and when I last saw him in London a week ago at the race start he was looking forward to it.
Condolences to his family.
Condolences to his family.
VicS
Well-known member
Very sad news. Condolences to his family
Bit OTT aren't we. Viking was not claiming that the SAME thing had happened to him. SIMILAR he said, with, fortunately for him, a very different outcome.
No indication of any sympathy for Mr Ashman or his family from you I notice! ... Just posting to criticise someone else.
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Topcat47
Well-known member
I'm with Vic on this.
I got hooked by the LSP too, but don't remember him. A great shame for him and his family and an enviable safety record for the clippers gone in a flash, too.
I got hooked by the LSP too, but don't remember him. A great shame for him and his family and an enviable safety record for the clippers gone in a flash, too.
tcm
...
The sadness and condolences to the family are surely in the heart of anyone who even reads the thread, let alone contributes. Apologies for my e-muttering at a time like this.
Viking
New member
Not knowing the full details I was just aware of what happened to me and it sent a shiver down my spine and how fine a line is between life and death. And how careful one should be out there. He was only 49 I'm 68!
explores
Well-known member
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PhillM
Well-known member
Very, very sad. Condolences. To the family and friends.
emandvee44
Well-known member
Very sad indeed.
All the more so as the yacht has just passed very close to me heading for port where she will arrive in a few minutes.
M.
All the more so as the yacht has just passed very close to me heading for port where she will arrive in a few minutes.
M.
Tomahawk
Well-known member
I knew someone who was hit by the mainsheet in a gybe. Knocked her sideways and hit the side of her head onto a winch. Airlift of the boat and five hours neuro surgury at Haslar.
She turned into a vegetable. Unable to talk or hold a conversation. Her husband could not face living with the consequences.
Sad day all round.
She turned into a vegetable. Unable to talk or hold a conversation. Her husband could not face living with the consequences.
Sad day all round.
trapezeartist
New member
Harsh!
Sailfree
Well-known member
Sad.
The various posts should be a reminder to us all that a accidental gybe is a real risk to us all and can have serious consequences.
The various posts should be a reminder to us all that a accidental gybe is a real risk to us all and can have serious consequences.
savageseadog
Well-known member
Was it an accidental gybe? Was it a planned and executed gybe?
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Tintin
Well-known member
They were reefing.
The set up is a line from the leech thru the boom for each reef and handy billies to clip into the cringle.
Invariably the reefing is done while on course i.e. not turning up into wind.
The vang is released. The topping lift is used to raise the boom with the mainsheet played to keep boom tension.
The halyard is eased enough for the the handy billy to be clipped on, main halyard is tensioned then reefing line tensioned, then topping lift lowered in conjunction with main sheet to maintain boom tension. Vang is then tensioned again.
SteveSarabande
Active member
They were all downwind in Portugese trade winds o i think in this case they probably did turn partly upwind