VOR boat in Fatal Collision.

[Flagman101]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

The speed was to fast to avoid collision with the lookouts they had.
Thats the easy answer. Who hit who?
From the pictures it looks like the impact was from the side. Port side.
Maybe the fishing boat was the one going to fast or that maneuvered into Vestas?
Maybe Vestas was almost stoped when they got hit by the fishing boat.
Maybe Vestas saw the boat and tried to turn but was unable to avoid the collision.
Was Vestas aware at all that there was a boat near them? Was the fishing boat visible on radar or by the naked eye?.
So many unknowns here.



A safe speed would be the one where they could, with adequate lookouts, avoid collision.

Then again who hit who?
They say that Vestas was involved in a collision with a fishing boat. Not the Vestas hit a fishing boat.

[NevisDog]

Originally Posted by seasick

... Regarding a safe speed: In a race like the VOR there is only flat out...

No, this is absolutely wrong.

No race is worth dying for. Going fishing for a living is always one of the most hazardous occupations but being killed by some supersonic yacht dodging through a 'fleet of poorly lit fishing boats' at warp speed - that's not on. That's not sailing. That's not sport. That's not seamanship.

I totally dissociate myself from that viewpoint. No excuses please.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by seasick

Just spoke to my brother whose daughter was behind Vestas, on MAPFRE. The fleet of fishing vessels, gillnetters, were all poorly lit. Most carried a single kerosine lamp at their mast head. Regarding a safe speed: In a race like the VOR there is only flat out.

.

The very definition of poor seamanship.
They knew there were hazards - they chose to ignore those hazards - a life was lost.

[CFS Klopas]

Sailing seems like the only kind of racing where non competitors are allowed on the race course. I don't know if it's practicable to expect anyone racing to deliberately slow down. The solutions I can think of are: not allowing the racing near busy harbors, the authorities clearing the course or somehow handicapping the boats to compel slower speeds, perhaps by not allowing them to use their full compliment of sails.

[Adelie]

You have that backwards, sailing is one of the few sports that races mostly in the public right of way rather than on a separated course.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Adelie

You have that backwards, sailing is one of the few sports that races mostly in the public right of way rather than on a separated course.

A+1..

[CFS Klopas]

That's exactly what I said?

[seasick]

Scant information available online. My niece Sofie on Mapfre said that they had two bow watchers at the mast to see under the Code Zero and the navigator was on lookout as well with an iPad mirroring the B&G radar screen below decks.

The photo of the steel vessel in the article supplied by IslandHopper (thank you IslandHopper) was a vessel the survivors were rescued to. The smaller fishing vessel had by this time gone to the bottom.

In many of the other VOR ports of call during the history of this race, marine exclusionary zones have been set up to afford a lane of safe passage for the VOR Fleet. Apparently this zone was not established in Hong Kong one of the busiest ports on earth.

Having survived a horrific collision on the water, I sympathize a great deal with all those involved. My heart goes out.

This screen shot of the VOR Tracker (courtesy of SailingIllustrated) shows Vestas’ track before and after the collision as her crew frantically tried to douse sails cant the keel to get her hole out of the sea and to assist the other vessel.

[seasick]

https://www.sailingillustrated.com

[Jim Cate]

This incident makes me wonder when one of the big multihull RTW solo boats will have a similar collision. I'm not opposed to solo racing in general... have done so myself... but not in 100+ foot boats going 30+ knots. If one of these vessels with no one on watch some f the time should collide with even pretty a substantial craft the outcome could be awful.

Mostly these guys are not in congested waters, and that sure improves the odds, but one finds ships, cruising yachts and fishermen in the damndest places. It's a worry...

Jim

[El Pinguino]

I seem to recall a single handed RTW several years ago... started in France.... 2 or maybe more of the yachts managed to run into *big* boats engaged in fishing before they cleared Biscay....

[svlamorocha]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

Is there any info yet on which was burdened vessel in terms of right of way?

There is no such a thing as right of way when one of the boats is not a sailing boat.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by svlamorocha

There is no such a thing as right of way when one of the boats is not a sailing boat.

¿Qué?


Putting the 'right of way' bit to one side - and leaving it there - I suggest you take a look at Rule 18.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Centreboard2017

I understand that the fishing vessel was unlit.

Where exactly did you glean that info from?

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

¿Qué?


Putting the 'right of way' bit to one side - and leaving it there - I suggest you take a look at Rule 18.

And everyone should revisit rule 5 and 6 while there.