Double multihull capsize in two handed series

by Sail-World on 12 Jul 2006 Two multihulls capsized in the SIMRAD 50, the first event in the SIMRAD Two Handed Triple Series.

One of these was recovered, and then continued sailing only to capsize a second time.

The first incident occurred about 1120hrs as the boats were rounding the north eastern corner of Waiheke Island in the vicinity of Kauri Point, which is south of the Thumb Point.

Sublime, a Great Barrier Express catamaran, caught a severe wind gust in flattish water, and flipped at about 1120hrs off Kauri Point. She went upside down and was rescued by a fishing boat who hauled her upright. Sublime was bailed out and made seaworthy again in the vicinity of Pakatoa Island. Several other passing competitors stopped to ascertain if she required assistance.

Sublime advised the Race Organisers that she had been recovered and was sailing home. A safety net of contacts was also advised by Sublime of their intentions.

At about 1530hrs, as Sublime left the southern end of the Waiheke Channel, she was caught in a combination of a very steep sea and wind gust and flipped again in the vicinity of Passage Rock.

Conditions were reported by other boats as a wind strength of about 30 knots from the south west. However the worst aspect was the sea state which was caused by the wind against the tide situation, for which the area is notorious in these conditions.

Sublime again inverted and the crew sheltered as best they could as the boat drifted for eight hours in the vicinity of Waiheke Channel. Sunset was about 1720hrs, two hours after the second capsize. All other competitors had passed through this area.

The crew were very warmly dressed, for the conditions and had wet weather gear which was of sufficient quality to keep them dry. They donned full lifejackets after the incident.

The crew of Sublime had an arrangement with the skipper of the fishing boat, who had assisted them with the righting after the first capsize. He called their families later on Saturday night to check they had arrived home safely and it was at this point, together with the lack of contact with their safety net, that the alarm was raised.

The crew of Sublime were located by the Police helicopter after a night search at about 2355hrs. They were still on the upturned catamaran, and had been so for about eight hours. The crew were taken off onto a Coastguard boat about 0020hrs and Sublime was left floating for later salvage.

In spite of drifting close to land at times, the crew of Sublime did not attempt to leave the boat and swim ashore, but stayed with their upturned catamaran and survived.

The second incident involved Silver Raider which flipped at about 1200hrs in the Waiheke Channel, which runs between the eastern end of Waiheke Island and Ponui Island.

She was hit by a big gust and inverted.

Silver Raider was found by a Coastguard boat who was being sent to assist Sublime, further to the north, after their first capsize, and who no longer required Coastguard assistance, at that stage.

The crew were taken off and Silver Raider was anchored for the night before being towed back to Gulf Harbour.

The second capsizing of Sublime raised a question as to safety procedures, particularly as to the inability of the crew to raise the alarm, and also of the responsibility of organisers to maintain a watch on boats that were believed to be no longer racing and were proceeding home, or to a safe haven.

The organisers issued a statement on the incidents dated the following Sunday.

'The Short Handed Sailing Association of New Zealand (SSANZ) states that full and correct safety procedures were followed with regards to the two sailors rescued from their upturned catamaran following a yacht race on Saturday 8 July.

'SSANZ ensures a very high level of safety readiness is achieved by all of our competitors,' says SSANZ President Brian Murray. 'All boats are equipped to the Category 4 standard required by Yachting New Zealand for racing in sheltered waters. In addition, we require that each boat carries an EPIRB location device in case search and rescue is required.'

'SSANZ also requires that every skipper declares that their boat meets safety standards. Spot safety inspections are carried out before the race. We ensure that every starter is accounted for until they either cross the finish line or withdraw from the race and for our longer races we have regular radio check-ins.'

'This particular boat called into SSANZ after it capsized on the first occasion notifying us that it was okay and it had retired from the race. The boat and crew were in good condition and proceeded under sail back to their home port of Bayswater in the Waitemata Harbour. At this point they had their own line of communication established with the skipper of the boat that had assisted them following the first capsize. This line of communication worked: when they didn't make contact, the skipper alerted both Coastguard and the Police, and they were located and rescued shortly after.'

Murray says that while the vessel was carrying safety gear, including flares and communications equipment that would have enabled them to summon help, the crew could not access it once the boat was upside down. This matter will be addressed by the SSANZ committee.

Brian Murray concluded the statement with the comment that: 'We are pleased that the crew are both safe and congratulate them on their seamanship.'

The usual practice was followed, on a race of this type, is for a boat ceasing to be race organisers’ responsibility once it had advised that it was withdrawing from a race. Whether the advice that Sublime was 'sailing home' in the circumstances was a withdrawal, is a moot point.

From a practical viewpoint, it is not possible to be absolutely certain as to a boat’s disposition once it has withdrawn from a race, and at that point it assumes the status of any craft cruising the harbour or Hauraki Gulf.

Sail-World understands that this will be one of the issues considered by the race organisers in a review of the incident to ascertain whether there is a practical way that competitors can be monitored until they have returned to their home mooring.

It is respectfully suggested that race organisers of other similar events may care to consider the situation outlined above when drafting their safety procedures and also those required of competitors in such events.

Similarly the practicality of a new requirements for a waterproof grab-bag accessible from an upturned multihull, may also be addressed.

The above summary is published in the hope that we can all learn from these incidents.