Disgrace on the Race Course

In Scuttlebutt 1869 (http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/) there is a story of a racing incident which almost leaves me speechless.

On a windy day on Block Island Sound, during Race Week there, according the Scuttlebutt story, a woman crew member fell overboard off of a Farr395. She was not connected by a harness or wearing a life jacket. Immediately her husband dove in to assist her (good man!) He also was not wearing a life jacket. Their boat, Coyote, conducted itself properly (other than not insisting on the wearing of PFD’s by everyone), and quickly stopped and began the recovery procedure. However, unavoidably, they had sailed some distance after the two persons went overboard. In those conditions Coyote could have easily traveled over 150ft in as little the 10 seconds it probably took to drop the chute and turn around. At any rate, the man and wife were now swimming in cold Block Island Sound several boat lengths away from their yacht, fully dressed and without life jackets

The Sound on that day was a busy scene, with race boats sailing in every direction all around them. The J105 fleet was sailing upwind in the vicinity. One J105 nearly ran over the swimmers, swerving off when the crew alerted helmsman, who couldn’t see them. The crew of this boat then threw floatation devices towards the overboard persons, and, observing that their own yacht was close by and returning to pick them up, continued racing. Another J105 apparently sailed by without stopping. Coyote then did get their two wet sailors back on board, not much worse for wear.

I simply cannot imagine that these two J105's continued sailing leaving two persons swimming in Block Island Sound while their own yacht still some lengths away. When I first heard the story I thought the MOB's were alongside their yacht at the time. Even in that case I personally would have, and, in similar situations, have stopped and stood by until released or waved off, but I could see how someone might decide that the situation was under control, and decide not to stop. But to throw a couple of floatation devices, which didn't even actually reach the swimmers, and then sail away from people in the water, is virtually astonishing. I'm glad the names of the offending boats and skippers were not given, because I would have forever linked their names with an act of extreme foolishness.

I am sure the thinking on the boast which sailed by went something like this:

“We are sailing in windy conditions, with our sails up, and to stop we’d have to jump up right now and drop the sails. This will take some time and move us away from the scene anyway, and then what can we do in these rough conditions, and anyhow, they have it under control already.” It’s a case of denial of the reality that people in the water represent a serious life threatening situation, and no one can predict the outcome. We all like to think that everything will be OK, the situation is under control, but despite the inconvenience and remote likelihood that they will be actually able to lend a hand or are even really needed, all boats who can come to the assistance, must come, at any cost. This is required by law, by racing rules, and by basic human consideration for the lives and safety of others,

I’d like to think that it is just foolish indecision on the parts of the skippers, now much regretted, which led to these shameful acts, not ignorance or callousness and the desire to win a sailboat race at the risk of the lives of fellow seamen and women.

Fred Roswold, SV WINGS, Hong Kong