WA: Bunbury and Return Ocean Race: Finistere (Davidson 50)

[Alan Mighty]

Relatively early news of a disaster in Western Australia, the Fremantle to Bunbury and Return Ocean Race:

One sailor dead, another missing after yacht overturns in Bunbury and Return Ocean Race - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

One dead, one missing in yacht tragedy off Mandurah

[Alan Mighty]

Race track: YB Tracking Race Viewer - 70th Bunbury and Return 2018

[Alan Mighty]

Location of the incident:

https://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/...urn-Ocean-Race

[billknny]

Weather conditions in the area are described as south easterly winds 15 to 20 knots, with one to two metre seas.

Geez...Such mild conditions (if true). What could have happened? Keel failure?

[HankOnthewater]

Looking back, the conditions were quite normal for this coast, if not benign. If the tracker shows the correct position, the location of the incident happened well away from the Bouvard reefs which run parallel to the coast from Mandurah to Bunbury. I know the area very well. There are little or no currents, no reefs/shallows (at that location). The most dangerous items, in my view, are the cray pots (‘lobster’ pots to some). Finistere is a well-known sturdy yacht. Of course the question remains: “What happened?”.

My thoughts are with the family of the perished crew.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by billknny

Weather conditions in the area are described as south easterly winds 15 to 20 knots, with one to two metre seas.

Geez...Such mild conditions (if true). What could have happened? Keel failure?

First link says:
A spokeswoman for AMSA said conditions in the area were less than ideal, with winds up to 30 knots and three to four-metre waves.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by StuM

First link says:
A spokeswoman for AMSA said conditions in the area were less than ideal, with winds up to 30 knots and three to four-metre waves.

Still not heavy conditions and a link above suggests that she was going to windward ..... so not a nasty gybe situation....

I shall wait and watch rather than speculate... however....

[CarstenWL]

... very sad, two dead ...

https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/wa-ya...-ng-b88755993z

Carsten

[boatman61]

Preferred the first one.. no one died..
Sad when this happens.

[JPA Cate]

I tried the link, and it came back "page not found", twice.

Does anybody have any details, like where off Perth, who the decedents were, age of boat? previous grounding history?

Thanks very much,

Ann

[boom23]

Sad news...

Here is a working link: https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/per...-ng-b88755727z

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by boom23

Sad news...

Here is a working link: https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/per...-ng-b88755727z

Thank you very much, boom.

There's another thread going on the incident, as well, started by Alan Mighty, and a CF Custom Google Search (in the menu under the Search button) will get you there, the Bunbury Race is mentioned in the title.

Ann

[HankOnthewater]

This is the link to the other thread.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-a-197889.html

[Polux]

Very sorry about the loss of lives.

I believe we all should be concerned with this problem that will become increasingly more frequent on boats with some age.

Many think that a keel is something that will not need maintenance and will last as much time as the hull. The bolts need to be changed way before. They may look impeccable and have metal fatigue.

We need industry guidance and rules regarding inspections.

When you buy a car you have schedules to replace pieces and you know that if don't do that the risks are high.

Offshore boats are more like airplane because while on a car when most pieces broke the changes are that nothing bad happens except a blown engine, on a boat if something like the keel fells of something really bad can happen.

Airplanes have strict schedules and are grounded if those schedules are not respected.

I have posted this already but I believe that what these guys say is important:

"John Squire
The loads are not only designed to take static loads. I am taking from a racing yacht perspective. The loads that the keels are designed have to take the require loads that can be caused by a large impact.
....
Maintenance is Key
I look after racing yachts with the high aspect ratio fins. We race the boats hard and it in inevitable that we have grounded at high speed. After this I have taken steps to have the keel inspected, keel bolts torqued and in some cases ultra sounded.....
Since the tragic loss of Cheeki Rafiki most of the racing charter fleet have had the keels removed, full check and the it all being reseated. Some of the boats had to have had work.

A large number of boat owners believe that they don't need to worry about keels which is insane. If proper steps are taken then it greatly reduces the danger of such loss.

The keelboats and the keel should be checked regularly and also after any serious grounding or stress load. It is simple maintenance. The designers do know what they are doing!"


"Bluebeard ...
Major overhauls as currently understood, do not include any check for fatigue damage anywhere in the hull or keel structure.
The problem is that there are no existing standards for yacht design.
Every industry has had it's catastrophic learning curve with fatigue. The aircraft industry had the Comet, and the offshore industry had the Alexander Kielland. As a result each industry has developed and implemented appropriate design standards. That is what the leisure sailing industry needs to do."

http://www.yachtingworld.com/news/ke...-facts-60006/3

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

I shall wait and watch rather than speculate... however....

+1 on not speculating.

Only real news I've heard to date is the identification of one of the two departed. See:

Sailing community left reeling after double fatality off WA coast - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)