Team Vestas grounded

[axolotl]

This incident is not the result of raging weather, poor visibility and an on the edge boatspeed. Conditons were benign. The half moon was up from 06:30 to 19:30 UTC local. 4 hours later the fleet was experiencing +-15kn true wind speed, probably similar at impact. Cloud cover doesn't seem to be an issue. St. Brandon Island is very low lying and only has 60 people, so probably no loom. This is not a case of low lying reefs miles offshore being struck before the island is raised; they went directly into the windward shore. It is a big charted island (since the 1800s), although its GPS coords could well be a mile or two mile off in that remote part of the world.

Curious the boats on the other side of the island executed dodging maneuvers because of much smaller islets. Implies visibility wasn't that bad and the electro charts aren't that good.


Just now · Like

 

[Rainbow Spirit]

About another three hours to sunrise where Vestas is aground.

 

[jimg]

Sounds like they might be able to get back in the race for the next leg. Just a little putty and paint...

B&G claims (or did claim) they provided the entire ball of wax. Hard to believe the plotter won't shade at a depth setting or sound an alarm. Of course someone has to turn it on...

 

[ateam]

Fucking pros! Too stupid to do the very basics - skipper/watchcaptain and navigator should be sent back to school

 

[zenmasterfred]

Going to wait and hear the story, HTFU those who condemn so fast and I suppose have never been aground themselves. There are those who have been and those who will be if you go to sea. Just glad everyone is safe and looking to more details.

 

[ateam]

This is really crazy in the 21 century. What navigation program are these guys using?

That should Not matter at all!!!! One navigates always with twpo or three systems paralle, i.E computer than independant GPS and then loggingingnand puting down positions with a Pen in a REAL Chart....u do This for a reason....

 

[ateam]

Going to wait and hear the story, HTFU those who condemn so fast and I suppose have never been aground themselves. There are those who have been and those who will be if you go to sea. Just glad everyone is safe and looking to more details.

Sorry but if they Hit an Island at full speed....I cqn Not really think of a good excuse....

 

[axolotl]

Fucking pros! Too stupid to do the very basics - skipper/watchcaptain and navigator should be sent back to school

Au contraire'! Apparent moon angle, boat heading, sea state, visibility, etc. can make it very hard for a night watch to detect shallow water before it's too late. Oddly, a calmer sea state is not your friend, less surf to glisten in the moonlight. Don't blame the watch for a grounding until all the cards are on the table. And the on deck guys were racing balls to the wall, probably more concerned about trim, angle and boatspeed than the possibility of hitting a f*cking island in the next few moments.

OTOH, whut was the downstairs electro navigator thinking? The Racetracker is right on the money concerning where the boat grounded. Surely his screen showed the same as they approached, or his on board electro charts were showing a bad location several miles west for the island, or the system was down, or, the numbnuts was too zoomed out.

Based on their course, they were racing as if the island didn't exist.

 

[Flap]

Is this Vor a joke? I find it hard to believe a team could run aground in this day and age. At least all the boats didn't run aground at the same time.

 

[ateam]

There is no exscuse - except negligence und unproefessional behaviour

 

[kevlarmike]

http://www.stripes.com/polopoly_fs/1.205737.1361443092!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_240/image.jpg

Hey!!! if the navy guys can do it,,, anybody can.

 

[sfsailing15]

The fact that they were racing is not an excuse, part of racing is to avoid hitting objects in your way. This seems like a well charted hazard.

That said, nighttime sailing can be disorienting. .

The story is going to be super interesting. Hopefully they all get off safely and can get the boat salvaged, then we get the lowdown. I've got to believe the navigator was sleeping and whoever was on navigation watch wasn't paying attention. Depth? Nothing triggered a thought?

 

[zenmasterfred]

I love that all you newbs know all.

 

[NACRADUDE]

No shit Zen. I'll wait to find out what really happened before I throw the crew under the bus. A bunch of newbie cock holsters passing judgment before the facts. Try taking your fucking dinghy offshore once before you judge.

Fucking tools.

 

[tkhughes]

Ditto NACRA.

 

[ateam]

I love that all you newbs know all.

yeah!rightfully so more than old farts anyway - uarmchair sailor.

 

[Rail Meat]

I feel so badly for those guys. Just gutted for a group that worked hard to get this far.

I looked on Expedition. The shoal is marked on C Map chart that I am using, but there are absolutely no depth details. It shows the water depths going from 13000+ feet up to 150, another at 66, another at 187 and another at 269, but just a field of white and no other depth labels.

 

[ateam]

Fucking wannalikes sailors here! Facts are they fucked up badly! There is no excuse for the nav man - everybody who does Not See This - does Not know ocean racing

 

[estarzinger]

I feel so badly for those guys. Just gutted for a group that worked hard to get this far.

I looked on Expedition. The shoal is marked on C Map chart that I am using, but there are absolutely no depth details. It shows the water depths going from 13000+ feet up to 150, another at 66, another at 187 and another at 269, but just a field of white and no other depth labels.

This is the Navonics chart chip detail - certainly well more than enough to know you needed to navigate around it.

 

[Surf-n-Turf]

Volvo own the boats this time don't they?

Zoom problem perhaps? Ie not zoomed in enough to see it?

The boats are own by the primary sponsor or syndicate. VOR has first rights to re-purchase.

As for the rest of you lot whining like the visiting sailors from a 2nd rate sailing club… shaddup! They are doing what you don't have the balls to try.