PilotWolf
Well-known member
Did the the boat sink? Were the crew in danger?
I think the end result shows that was the case.
PW
The SS Varvassi claims yet another victim
- Thread starter TQA
- Start date
Did the the boat sink? Were the crew in danger?
I think the end result shows that was the case.
PW
claymore
Well-known member
Go on then, put up a new post recommending that racing skippers are 'terminated' when they make a mistake.
It is your Grammar I am making fun of, those blinkers must be on so tight it must be agony for you.
Don107
Member
It is interesting that the rescue video has been removed from the original site at the request of the RNLI http://iwradio.co.uk/news/dramatic-footage-shows-alchemist-boat-sinking-at-round-the-island-race/ but is still available here http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2016/07/04/video-sinking-alchemist/
Regards Don
Regards Don
NormanS
Well-known member
The video is still here (from YBW news, on the right). Watching it again, I can't think what the Lifeboatman was hoping to achieve by jumping aboard. I may be wrong, but from my armchair
it looks as if they should just have got the people off asap. It looks painfully obvious that a wee pump wasn't going to do anything. IMHO of course.Capt Popeye
Well-known member
The video is still here (from YBW news, on the right). Watching it again, I can't think what the Lifeboatman was hoping to achieve by jumping aboard. I may be wrong, but from my armchair
Humm, I thought that as well, with the water lapping at the cockpit coamings I thought, 'get em off' ASAP and get a marker buoy attached for shes is going down for sure and would be good to have something attached to her before she sinks.
But good job all were ok afterwards.
TallBuoy
Member
As can be seen from this photograph the gap is approximately 10 boat widths, say 40m. On a reasonable day, it is hardly unreasonable, unseamanlike, unprofessional, and all the other critical terms that have been used, to sail through a 40m gap. There are many smaller gaps around !!
For the record, I have been through there on the last four races, two on my own boat and two as a commercial skipper, including last weekend. You have to assess the risk on the day - how rough is it? what's the tide doing? How many other boats are doing the same thing? I had also been there on a RIB 2 days before hand to refresh my memory.
I feel absolutely no guilt at trying to give my clients the best possible race result, which they were expecting, in a professional way.
savageseadog
Well-known member
A passage through there is standard racing fare and I would do it without hesitation given:
I would make absolutely sure I knew where all the bits are and ensure that I allowed for the tide and other boats on approach. There would be a cut off for difficult weather and sea conditions of course.
I would make absolutely sure I knew where all the bits are and ensure that I allowed for the tide and other boats on approach. There would be a cut off for difficult weather and sea conditions of course.
chanelyacht
Well-known member
The video is still here (from YBW news, on the right). Watching it again, I can't think what the Lifeboatman was hoping to achieve by jumping aboard. I may be wrong, but from my armchair
Most of the crew were off, taken off by Hampshire Police's vessel (which of course didn't get a mention in the RNLI press fiction). The skipper and one other didn't want to get off, the skipper probably in a state of shock about the whole situation.
Mudeford ILB then steamed in like a snowplough, with one crew member thinking he was on Baywatch, with the RNLI's usual disregard for incident protocol and the fact that Hampshire Police's vessel was already the on scene commander.
Resolution
Well-known member
Racecruiser
Member
From a racer's perspective sensible words - we haven't done the RTI for a few years because there is a good chance of one of the 1600 entries banging into you or getting yourself into a difficult situation with nowhere to go. However last time we did go inside the Varvassi and the depth alarm was not close to going off. The trick is to avoid goosing Goose Rock then a quickish turn to port to get inside the wreck. Easier said than done when it's windy or crowded of course and it's not risk free as we all know.
I have competed against Alchemist inshore and offshore over the years and there can't be many boats on the south coast that have more miles under the keel. All very sad.
Fully agree with whoever said when entering the solent from the south in iffy conditions avoid rounding bridge where the conditions are likely at their worst - a third to half the distance to Bridge is better unless you're on a ship.
Here's a video with some of the thrill of racing on a small boat and well I never, they went inside the Varvassi. Makes me wish we had entered!
http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/190678/Cowes-Hyde-Round-the-Island
Hambler Rambler
New member
Agree it is appalling that they claim 'rescuing the crew at the last minute before they sank', and this is repeated in all the cut-and-paste reporting elsewhere
More like the police kindly rescued all but two of the crew who had remained only in order to wait for the RNLI who had presumably told them they would bring a pump, which turned out to be a bit of a disappointment!
claymore
Well-known member
And there you have it, the difference between a Government funded organisation- the Police and a Voluntary organisation who, under pressure to keep the funds coming in, have to take every marketing opportunity available to them.
PilotWolf
Well-known member
claymore
Well-known member
do one.
richardsn9
Member
I don't have any particular axe to grind against racers in general, but I do think the way that some boats take a risk with this known hazard crosses the boundary from negligence to recklessness, and I would object if any ensuing insurance claim pushes up premiums for other policy holders.
Javelin
Well-known member
Two points here,
1, You usually pay an extra premium when racing which is on a sliding scale depending on the type of racing. (Club, inshore, offshore)
2, The standard in general boat handling is probably higher with a race crew than with a weekend sailor and out of racing they probably have less accidents.
It could be argued therefore that raising insurance costs are down to folk who don't race rather than the other way round.
1, You usually pay an extra premium when racing which is on a sliding scale depending on the type of racing. (Club, inshore, offshore)
2, The standard in general boat handling is probably higher with a race crew than with a weekend sailor and out of racing they probably have less accidents.
It could be argued therefore that raising insurance costs are down to folk who don't race rather than the other way round.
NormanS
Well-known member
Well the insurance companies obviously don't think so, otherwise why do they charge an extra premium for racers?
PhillM
Well-known member
Bet most of the boats in RTIR are family cruisers on their once a year race.
I have no reason to think that my boat handling is any better during RTIR than any other Saturday. Except of course I don't tend to do 60 NM and stay out for 12 hours on a normal Saturday.
So, to follow your argument, practice should make perfect, but I think that fatigue could make me worse.
savageseadog
Well-known member
No it doesn't
VO5
New member
Well it might not under ordinary circumstances but a race is not an ordinary circumstance particularly with a bunch of boats all trying to squeeze through a narrow gap and all at the same time in which there are two hazards, a rock and a wreck, and under sail.