That
Doesn’t Belong There
Westernaustralia2011.com,
one of the ten yachts competing in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World
Yacht Race, has dismasted during the race from Qingdao to Hawaii. At
0600 GMT on the eleventh day of the 4,400-nautical mile Pacific leg,
the team representing Western Australia reported that their 81-foot
(24.5 metres) mast had snapped
approximately halfway down whilst sailing in approximately 10-15
knots of wind under spinnaker. Here’s a shot in better
times.
There
are no injuries onboard and the crew of 12, including the professional
skipper, has cut away the trailing rigging using hydraulic cutters to
prevent damage to the 68-foot yacht’s hull. The yacht remains seaworthy
and a full assessment of the damage is underway. More here and More pics here.
This pic from the Clipper crew.
