Volvo Ocean Race

[old_salt]

I watched the program on the TV this morning while having a bite to eat while we where at a horsey do at somerford in mid Cheshire and raised my glass to the boys on the welcome for ABN AMRO Two, after the most traumatic week of their lives.
What got to me was the fact it took so long to return to pic up the MOB now I realise these boats are racing flat out with a lot more sail up than we would normally have and it takes time to remove and manoeuvrer to a return course. Also they would have deployed a Dan buoy and marker flag. but these people are competing a race in the most hostile condition on earth and 350mls west of the UK in the north Atlantic where the average water temperature is 42 you cannot survive for long no mater how fit you are.
Why do they not carry an immediate launch rescue craft. it would not hamper any one as they would all have the same.

 

[fireball]

Safety equipment aboard these vessels is far greater than previous years, even CG1 would be impressed!
I have no doubt that the tragic loss of a crew member will be thoroughly looked into and a decision on how best to avoid the situation arising again - obviously they cannot cater for every eventuality, perhaps a danbouy/personl liferaft that self jetissons when someone goes overboard would be handy ... !

 

[old_salt]

That is the kind of thing I was thinking of as the main problem is the water temperature and some thing that would enable the MOB to get out of the water instead of hanging on to a life ring and into a protective cocoon of some kind would be a life saver especially if it was retrievable to use again if required. These guys are as fit as fiddles so if not incapacitated in the first minuets I feel they would be able to make it into a rescue craft.

 

[StellaGirl]

They deployed every piece of safety equipment, inc jon buoy and horseshoe life belt. They were travelling at around 20kts with a spinnaker up and in order to turn upwind they needed to drop the spinnaker first. The water temp at the time was approx 14C.

 

[StellaGirl]

http://www.rfd.co.nz/page_mob.htm


Jon buoy....

 

[WayneS]

Anybody know if there has/will be an investigation into this tragedy.

I'm sure that if it happened in UK waters the MCA would be looking at it very hard to see if there were any circumstances that need addressing / prosecuting.

W

 

[StellaGirl]

There are certainly no circumstances that require prosecution.

 

[old_salt]

Hi StellaGirl. I've looked at your link that looks a good piece of kit but I feel the water temp would have been the real problem 14c =57f
I would have thought the sea temp there would have been lower in the 41/42 f as I remember. Of course I do not know all the details of this tragic accident and our thoughts must be with his family and his crew.

 

[StellaGirl]

The water temperature was taken from the boats equipment. They were lucky that it was that warm due to the gulf stream. Just 2 days before and it was 10deg colder