Please select your home edition
Edition
Lloyd Stevenson - AC INEOS 1456x180px TOP

British sailor's collision with 120,000 tanker comes to court

by Sail-World Cruising on 12 Oct 2013
Cowes Week collision between yacht Atlanta and tanker - photos by Herbert Westervelt SW
Remember these photos? A British sailor whose 2011 collision with the 120,000 tanker Hanne Knutsen was flashed around the world garnering almost a million viewers, not to mention the 100,000 crowd watching from the shore, is currently being prosecuted in Southampton Court.

On August 6 2011, Royal Navy lieutenant Roland Wilson attempted to sail his Irish-registered Corby 33 yacht, Atlanta of Chester, with eight crew on board, in front of a 120,000-ton tanker Hanne Knutsen, while off Egypt Point on the Isle of Wight.

They didn't make it. The yacht was nearly rolled under the bow and was dismasted when the pink spinnaker wrapped on the ship's anchor. The dramatic sequence was captured by the camera of a quick-thinking Herbert Westervelt.

Fortunately there were no fatalities but one of the eight crew sustained a head injury. Two were overboard, picked up by rescue crews.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) are prosecuting Lt Wilson in Southampton Magistrates Court. The prosecutor, Simon Row read the charges.

Lt Wilson contravened three Colregs:

Rule 5; He did not keep an adequate lookout.

Rule 9b; He impeded a large vessel in a narrow channel.

Rule 18; He impeded a vessel constrained by its draft.

Additionally he is accused of breaching Rule 7 by failing to adequately determine a risk of collision and Rule 8d as his actions did not result in his vessel passing a safe distance from the ship.

Southampton bylaws prohibit small vessels from entering a moving prohibited zone surrounding large ships passing through the central Solent.

The defence is claiming that the sound signals given by the ship were confusing and that the actions of Lt Wilson were not negligent.

The court was told that as the ship came around the corner by Cowes it turned to port to follow the coastline down. Just before it got to the Gurnard buoy the ship sounded its horn to indicate going starboard but had to slow the turn because a disabled 35ft Sealine motor cruiser, Joy C, was in its path. The cruiser had lost steerage and one engine. This slowing of the turn meant that the yacht could not get in front of the ship and the collision occurred.

Yesterday, the court was given evidence from crews of the Southampton Harbour escort boat, the Spitfire 1. They all said they had attended the disabled Joy C and that they had warned the yacht in 'robust language' that a ship was approaching.

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) spokesman said at the time: 'Two people were thrown overboard by the collision. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch and the MCA duty surveyor have been informed. The tanker continued to its destination at Fawley and the yacht has been towed to the UKSA berths at Cowes.'

The Rhib (rigid-hulled inflatable boat) Vigilant took one of the crew back to shore for medical attention whilst the Southampton Patrol Boat and Hamble Rescue took the second crew member who had suffered a gash to his head to a waiting ambulance at Trinity Pontoon for transport to Newport Hospital. He was later reported to have been discharged.

The trial is continuing...
C-Tech 2021 SnuffAir 728x90 BOTTOMMackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOMSelden 2020 - FOOTER

Related Articles

Vaikobi V-DRY-X Team Kit
We speak to Pat Langley and Bart Milczarczyk V-DRY-X is a major launch for the Australian technical clothing brand Vaikobi, launching into the yacht racing team market with high performance outer layer clothing specifically designed to be customised with the branding and colours of that team.
Posted today at 12:59 pm
Admiral's Cup Tom Hicks Thursday Photo Gallery
He is always ready to capture Solent action Tom Hicks is always ready to capture Solent action, and the Admiral's Cup naturally delivered. These shots are from Thursday 24th July 2025.
Posted today at 9:27 am
WASZP Games 2025 Day 4 Photo Gallery
A snapshot of the day by Mark Jardine It was a case of grabbing the wind and sunshine while it lasted on Day 4 of the 2025 WASZP Games, and each of the fleets got a bit of racing in before the rain started to fall and the breeze died away.
Posted today at 6:35 am
Admiral's Cup Inshore Racing Day 3
Youth, grit and glory define inshore battle The final day of inshore racing at the 2025 Admiral's Cup delivered high drama, high stakes and no shortage of action, especially at race starts. Three intense races pushed crews to the limit and completed the six-race inshore series.
Posted today at 4:58 am
WASZP Games 2025 Day 4
The Weymouth weather continued to keep the fleet guessing The Weymouth weather continued to keep the fleet guessing, with the northerly breeze hanging in the early forecast before giving way to a westerly build.
Posted today at 4:38 am
Admiral's Cup Paul Wyeth Thursday Photo Gallery
The battle points ahead of the Fastnet race intense The six-race inshore series has now been completed with an unstable northerly, swinging to the west later. The starts were particularly intense as the teams battled for points ahead of the Fastnet, and Paul Wyeth was on hand to capture the action.
Posted today at 4:18 am
Catalyst 45: Project Render delivery voyage
Catalyst 45 proved its versatility, and seaworthiness completing a 1,100nm Pacific Ocean voyage. While better known as an America's Cup tender, the Catalyst 45 proved the versatility, and seaworthiness of the design completing a 1,290nm Pacific Ocean delivery voyage to Fiji. Here's the story...
Posted on 24 Jul
O'pen Skiff World Championship in Japan
Team USA delivers a solid performance Five US sailors traveled to Nishinomiya, Japan for six days of challenging conditions, hot temperatures, and world class sailing. USA sailor Lucas Doran was in third place in the U17 fleet before the final day of racing.
Posted on 24 Jul
Admirals Cup: Day 4 - All hanging on the Fastnet.
The end of the beginning of the 2025 Admirals' Cup. Rán runs aground - claims redress. Today marked the End of the Beginning of the 2025 Admirals' Cup with the conclusion of Inshore racing on what is known as the "Central Solent". The Baltic teams' TP52 Rán hit a sandbank and has claimed redress.
Posted on 24 Jul
Less than 48 hours to Rolex Fastnet Race
Battle lines are being drawn up Battle lines are being drawn up for the RORC's centenary Rolex Fastnet Race. As the final day of Admiral's Cup inshore racing took place in the Solent, so several yachts due to take part in Saturday's main event were out training.
Posted on 24 Jul