Merged Thread: New Zealand Yacht with One Deceased and Another Missing

[Rustic Charm]

Sadly, a sail boat half way between NZ and Fiji has struck difficulties.

Ordeal not over for stricken yacht with one dead, another missing | Stuff.co.nz

[DumnMad]

Very sad, experienced crew but seems like they got hit by something violent and unexpected. Sympathy to families.

[NZBRAND]

20m yacht in trouble, One guy dead one missing and the rest of the crew are in a tough situation, weather is atrocious... thoughts are with them at the moment...

Sailor dead, search for man knocked overboard north of New Zealand - National - NZ Herald News

[Rustic Charm]

Experienced crew and a well equipped vessel.

[icemate]

Sympathy to family and crew. On similar trip from NZ to OZ encountered unexpected bad seas. My 37' cutter was knocked down and damaged but was able to limp to OZ while family on 54' sail from Fiji lost boat and belonging but were saved by OZ coast guard. Thank you Aussies.

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

Experienced crew and a well equipped vessel.

Rather odd that such a boat would have problems. 150 km/hr winds not really excessive. If the picture is of the current sea state, certainly not like North Sea conditions. Evidently rigging broke, setting off a chain reaction; so perhaps not so much bad conditions but bad rigging?

[CarstenWL]

@reed1v: Are you kidding? 150km/h wind "not really excessive" ????

And with at least one life lost no-one should speculate from his chair about what might have caused the accident.

Carsten

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by CarstenWL

@reed1v: Are you kidding? 150km/h wind "not really excessive" ????

And with at least one life lost no-one should speculate from his chair about what might have caused the accident.

Carsten

Guess you never sailed in a hurricane before. 90-100 mph winds are strong but a well founded boat should have no problems dealing with it. In those winds you either hove to; or ride with a storm sail. Of course some folks, like Turner, just keep sailing with deep reefs.

Interestingly as the wind rises up to the 140+ mph range, the seas actually flatten out. Most folks at that point just drop all sails, batten down, and let the boat assume its natural stance. Of course a full keeled boat will handle this way better than fin keeled or centerboard boats.

[Steve_C]

s/v Field Trip

Very sorry to hear, I can only hope the best for those involved.

[yotpop]

Originally Posted by reed1v

Rather odd that such a boat would have problems. 150 km/hr winds not really excessive. If the picture is of the current sea state, certainly not like North Sea conditions. Evidently rigging broke, setting off a chain reaction; so perhaps not so much bad conditions but bad rigging?

The New Zealand Herald item mentions 75 kilometres per hour wind which converts to 40 knots - which should be well within the capability of a 20 metre yacht. I can't see when the reported wind strength managed to become doubled? That apart, terribly tragic for all concerned

[CarstenWL]

I can't see when the reported wind strength managed to become doubled?

Think it came from the link to the article in the first post.

Auckland to Denarau yacht race safety officer Sally Garrett said that some of the 18 yachts that had completed the race experienced winds of nearly 150kmh.

Carsten

[lateral]

Search resumes for man knocked overboard from yacht north of New Zealand - National - NZ Herald News

Hoping for a good outcome.
Thankfully, a big high is moving over the area.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by reed1v

Guess you never sailed in a hurricane before. 90-100 mph winds are strong but a well founded boat should have no problems dealing with it. In those winds you either hove to; or ride with a storm sail. Of course some folks, like Turner, just keep sailing with deep reefs.

Interestingly as the wind rises up to the 140+ mph range, the seas actually flatten out. Most folks at that point just drop all sails, batten down, and let the boat assume its natural stance. Of course a full keeled boat will handle this way better than fin keeled or centerboard boats.

An experienced Force 13 hurricane sailor like you should at least know that it is "heave to".

[El Pinguino]

Dead sailor is Nick Saull, head of Brin Wilson Boat Builders.

He was in charge of my boat's big overhaul in 14/15.

A top bloke.

Yachtie that died north of NZ was head of a boat building company | Stuff.co.nz

[El Pinguino]

Nothing I have seen on assorted wx sites suggest anything like the winds being mentioned here.

If the DoD photo is post incident she still has her rig.

I suspect the boom was involved.

Tragic.