Redrock wreckage found
by Rob Kothe on 6 Dec 2004
Red Rock bow Phil Lee
Shortly before 3.00am on Monday 28th July 2003, the 31 foot Redrock Communications sailing in the Sydney-Gold Coast race, hit the small Black Rock near South Solitary Island, nine and a half miles north east of Coffs Harbour.
In very dark conditions the crew had realised they were close to the rock and had started to turn but it was too late. The boat hit the rocks with force, slewing over 70 degrees.
The rig came down, the keel plates were bent up and the boat began taking water rapidly.
The crew activated their 406 Epirb and within 30 seconds had their life raft valise in the water and inflating. All six crew took to their life raft and the vessel sank 15 minutes later.
Around 4am, another race entry, Mike Kelaher's Santana arrived and went to their assistance,
towing the life raft away from South Solitary.
They stood by until a Coffs Harbour Water Police vessel arrived a few minutes later. The Water Police vessel picked up the crew, all safe and well by 4:30am.
Redrock, a Hick 30 built in 1994, was launched as Atria and was then campaigned by Chris Bowling as Urban Guerilla before its renaming. Bowling did not believe the vessel was recoverable.
Without rig and with damaged keel it sank in deep water north east of Black Rock.
Last week a Coffs Harbour fishing trawler, reported she had severely fouled a wreck near Black Rock with her nets.
Today, more than 17 months after the sinking, at Emerald Beach eight miles north west of Black Rock, beachside residents Phil Lee and his son James, saw flotsam in the surf.
They recovered large barnacle encrusted fibreglass segments from Red Rock’s bow, with race bow stickers still visible on the white gel-coat.
They secured a line to the segments and towed them up onto the beach. Recognising that the fragments might be a danger to people walking on the beach, they then relocated them onto their footpath some 50 metres from the beach.
Coffs Harbour Water Police believe that the hull and keel have separated and larger pieces of the hull may still be floating in the area, presenting a hazard to shipping.
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