I just signed the petition to Restart the search for the missing #CheekiRafiki...

[tonybarebones]

I just signed the petition ".@USCG Restart the search for the missing #CheekiRafiki crew #dontstopsearching" on Change.org.

It's important. Will you sign it too? Here's the link:

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitio...pt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

Thanks!

 

[Flossdog]

Yup, already signed. Thanks for the link.

 

[Allan]

I've signed and shared on Facebook. I hope the USCG are not as stubborn as their government!
Allan

 

[John-wales]

This is a very sad and unusual case. Do the USCG know something that we do not ? How stable would a 20 man capacity life raft be when occupied by only four people ? Why can millions be spent on a futile attempt to locate the missing Malaysian aircraft when there was absolutely no chance of saving lives, when this yacht search has been aborted after a couple of days, even though it would appear there was a good chance of rescue.

 

[diapason]

BBC report that the search has been resumed. Thoughts and prayers with the lads and their families.

 

[trapezeartist]

Why can millions be spent on a futile attempt to locate the missing Malaysian aircraft when there was absolutely no chance of saving lives, when this yacht search has been aborted after a couple of days, even though it would appear there was a good chance of rescue.

My thoughts exactly. It seems the Yanks gave up the search on the basis of probability, rather than continuing it on the basis of possibility. Now they have resumed it on the basis of political pressure.

 

[rafiki_]

Yep, signed and shared on Monday. Hope the search is successful.

 

[John-wales]

I have a very sad feeling that this is not going to have a happy ending. I personally think the life raft has flipped over in the heavy seas, probably due to the fact it was not heavy enough to remain stable.

 

[maby]

I have a very sad feeling that this is not going to have a happy ending. I personally think the life raft has flipped over in the heavy seas, probably due to the fact it was not heavy enough to remain stable.

I really don't think it was ever launched. The USCG had a good fix on the boat around the time it sank, had search resources there within hours and found the capsized hull. Winds and currents in the region were well understood and aircraft overflew the area where any liferaft would have been within a few more hours - they didn't find it - and that is why they called off the search. These were an experienced crew and would have known that the best policy would have been to keep the liferaft tied to the capsized hull at least until it started to sink.

 

[single]

So why has nobody physically checked inside that inverted yacht? And in the pictures it shows black antifoul/hull. The inverted one taken from a ship seems to be white! I reckon there is a good chance they are alive in there if its the right yacht.

 

[maby]

So why has nobody physically checked inside that inverted yacht? And in the pictures it shows black antifoul/hull. The inverted one taken from a ship seems to be white! I reckon there is a good chance they are alive in there if its the right yacht.

There was no ship equipped to get someone into the capsized hull in the area at the time that it was found. The water is cold and the USCG calculated that nobody inside the hull could survive long enough for a suitably equipped ship to get there. Not everyone agrees with that calculation - I don't have the experience to comment on it.

 

[John-wales]

I understand the keel had become detached from the hull. I wonder if the yacht touched bottom leaving port, or collided with a rock, causing damage to the keel. This could have weakened the hull, eventually letting in water, and culminating in disaster. Just a theory.

 

[tonybarebones]

Tony --
On behalf of the friends of the Cheeki Rafiki crew, thank you so much for signing this petition and for all the support you have shown. Sadly, the outcome wasn't a happy one, but your support has meant a great deal to us, and having started this petition for my friends, I am so grateful.

The families have asked me to pass on their comments:

"We would like to say how indebted we are to the public for its overwhelming and unprecedented support. In the end this petition gained 240,000 signatures. That is equivalent to the population of a city the size of Southampton. This has helped quell our distress somewhat, but in particular Paul, Steve, James and Andrew would have been enormously touched to have known that they were in the minds of so many people.

It would have brought them great comfort in their moment of need and could, just could, have made a vital difference in saving their lives had the circumstances only been different."

Our thoughts are of course with all of the crew, their friends and families. In particular, members of last year's Cheeki Rafiki Fastnet crew, including myself, who were due to take part in this year's Round Britain and Ireland race with Andy. We were looking forward to sailing with him again.

In tribute to Andy, we will now be racing to raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The RNLI are an amazing UK based charity who save hundreds of lives at sea every year, and are dependent on donations from people like you. If everyone who signed this petition gave us a pound we could fund a new life boat! Anything you can give would help show your respects. Click here to donate.

Thank you once again for your support.

Nicola

 

[tonybarebones]

Tony --
On behalf of the friends of the Cheeki Rafiki crew, thank you so much for signing this petition and for all the support you have shown. Sadly, the outcome wasn't a happy one, but your support has meant a great deal to us, and having started this petition for my friends, I am so grateful.

The families have asked me to pass on their comments:

"We would like to say how indebted we are to the public for its overwhelming and unprecedented support. In the end this petition gained 240,000 signatures. That is equivalent to the population of a city the size of Southampton. This has helped quell our distress somewhat, but in particular Paul, Steve, James and Andrew would have been enormously touched to have known that they were in the minds of so many people.

It would have brought them great comfort in their moment of need and could, just could, have made a vital difference in saving their lives had the circumstances only been different."

Our thoughts are of course with all of the crew, their friends and families. In particular, members of last year's Cheeki Rafiki Fastnet crew, including myself, who were due to take part in this year's Round Britain and Ireland race with Andy. We were looking forward to sailing with him again.

In tribute to Andy, we will now be racing to raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The RNLI are an amazing UK based charity who save hundreds of lives at sea every year, and are dependent on donations from people like you. If everyone who signed this petition gave us a pound we could fund a new life boat! Anything you can give would help show your respects. Click here to donate.

Thank you once again for your support.

Nicola