Loss of s/v Daisy in Doublehanded Lightship race (San Francisco) this past weekend
Full story at http://yachtpals.com/boating/lightship-race
It's all too easy to forget that yacht racing is an extreme and hazardous sport, particularly (as in this case) shorthanded, and that conditions outside San Francisco Bay can be treacherous -- we've lost a number of good, well-sailed boats in the past few years. A friend of mine lost his J/35 in a quite similar way a few years ago, but was lucky enough to survive along with his partner. In this latest incident there was apparently no EPIRB signal, so it's likely there was no automatic EPIRB properly mounted and ready, which might well have alerted the USCG fast enough to save lives. There's been discussion of making EPIRB mandatory in ocean races, but no action thus far, even though cost is now quite reasonable (as little as $500). Hopefully this tragic incident will improve the chances of making EPIRB mandatory in ocean races, preferably automatic EPIRB properly mounted and ready. -John Navas http://sail.navas.us |
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