Classic Boat – August 2019

PPL MEDIA

CLAUDIA MYATT

“The first

knockdown

was in

50-knot

wind, waves

5-7m, small

headsail set

and 300m

of warp”

40 CLASSIC BOAT AUGUST 2019

GOLDEN GLOBE REPORT

Are Wiig

(NOR) OE32 Olleanna

During a heavy storm some 600 miles

south of the Cape of Good Hope,

the self-steering broke so he hand

steered from 5am with steep breaking

waves and occasional cross seas. He

tried putting out warps and an anchor

but felt the boat was too sluggish, so

thought it better to haul them in and

hand steer. By afternoon the wind

was easing and the seas were less

aggressive so he decided to try to

repair his steering gear. While doing

this, a wave came from the port side

and capsized the boat. It remained

upsidedown for a short while before

righting itself but the mast had

broken. Are set up a jury rig that

he had created and tested before

and sailed his boat, without

assistance, to Cape Town.

Gregor McGuckin

(IRE) Biscay 36 masthead ketch

Hanley Energy Endurance

The first knockdown was in 50-knot

NNW wind, waves 5-7m, small

headsail set and 300m of warp

streamed as a bight, the length

adjusted to control restraint and allow

suŒcient speed for steerage. He tried

the series drogue which did not work

for his boat. In his second knockdown,

bare poles, wind SSW 70 knots, he

streamed warps as before with waves

8-10m from NNW, 12-16m from SSW.

Third knockdown but no masts left

in similar conditions to second. He

was sailing down swell in all three

knockdowns, but found the boat

would default to beam on and then

be very diŒcult to turn down wind/

wave again. The second knockdown

was in a cross sea. The third, diŒcult

to explain as the drogue was

streamed from the bow so hove to.

Abhilash Tomy

(IND) Eric Suhaili replica masthead

ketch Thuriya

Position at the time was 40S 075E.

Wind estimated 75 knots NNW

becoming SSW (atypical front

passage). In waves NW’ly becoming

SW’ly, a cross sea 12-15m high

developed. The boat was lying under

bare poles beam-on to confused

waves with no sea anchor or warps

deployed, and eventually sušering

a number of knockdowns, leading

to it being dismasted.