‘IN FOILING, the risks
from speed are
even more acute’
R
comment
Matthew sheahaN
As yAchts rAce ever fAster, MAtt QUestIONs Whether sAfety MeAsUres
hAve KePt PAce ANd sAys It Is tIMe tO cONsIder better PrOtectION fOr AllMatthew Sheahan
is head of
performance
sailing at
Sunset+Vineisk versus reward: are we getting the
balance right?
When tragedy recently struck the Volvo
Ocean Race on the leg from Melbourne to
Hong Kong it did so in a way we haven’t
seen before. A collision between Vestas 11th Hour Racing
and a local fishing boat on the final approach to the finish
resulted in a fatality.
Clearly, our thoughts go out to the family and friends of
the fisherman who was lost and indeed all the Vestas crew
and team. This is distressing for all involved.
Unsurprisingly, the accident has raised concerns about
the modern age of high-performance craft and the new
level of risk that is now involved. But this incident was
different for another reason.
Of the tragedies that have occurred in this race over
45 years, losing a crewmember overboard has been the
most common. Yet this time the casualty was a member
of the public.
There is little that can be said about the Hong Kong
incident until the official investigations have been
conducted, but this hasn’t
stopped some in the
online community from
delivering kneejerk
reactions and comments
based on little evidence.
Many of their remarks
focus on the wisdom of
race boats travelling at
speed in notoriously crowded waters off the finish. But
their argument is flawed and misses a bigger issue.
Yes, Hong Kong is a busy place where collisions between
all kinds of shipping are understood to be quite common.
Yes, VO65s can travel pretty quickly, leading some to
suggest that race finishes should be conducted further
offshore in less congested waters. But we are told that this
incident took place around 30 miles away from the finish,
nowhere near the port.
A distance of 30 miles is roughly the midpoint of the
English Channel between the south side of the Isle of
Wight and Cherbourg, in another of the busiest shipping
areas in the world, yet I hear no calls for racing to be
restricted here.There is, however, justifiable concern as to the increase
in risk from the significantly higher speeds that some
boats are travelling at.
Sailing at 20 knots, or 10m a second, or half a VO65
boatlength per second, is now commonplace aboard
many modestly proportioned pocket rockets, let alone
a fleet of mini maxis.
At the same time, huge asymmetric kites and Code 0
sails have reduced visibility forward, and in many cases
reduced manoeuvrability too.
So is it time to start considering some form of collision
avoidance system? AIS can help but it is not the complete
answer. In gliding and other areas of recreational aviation,
in the face of ever more congested airspace, the sport has
seen a voluntary adoption of a relatively inexpensive
collision warning system called FLARM. It’s saved my
bacon on several occasions. Maybe it’s time to consider
something similar afloat.
In the foiling world the additional risks from speed and
reduced manoeuvrability make for an even more acute
situation. On top of this is the risk of being hit by the
carbon foils themselves should you be unfortunate
enough to go overboard.
As we already know there have been several alarming
incidents already that have resulted in serious injuries.
On the day that I am writing this I have been watching
the foiling Nacra 17 medal race at the World Cup Series in
Miami where one of the crew went overboard. In
attempting to recover the crewmember, the cat sailed
over the top, a hull passing on either side. Thankfully the
boat was going fairly slowly and the crew managed to stay
out of the way of the foils and was eventually recovered,
but it was horrifying to watch.
High performance is increasing the risk in our sport.
And while I’m all for progress, modern development has
raised the stakes significantly and I’m not sure that
safeguards have kept pace.
Visit any of the major events for high-performance
classes and speak to sailors and you’ll find plenty who
express concerns over safety. I accept there are no simple
answers, and I certainly don’t have any, but perhaps it is
time to start considering more than just body armour and
helmets to keep our sport safe for participants and the
public alike.