As someone close to the communities involved, ie. Chinese seafarers, Chinese sailing and the VOR I understand the concerns of all parties. It is never good news when someone dies in an accident and that applies to all concerned.
However to suggest that legs should finish out to sea instead of in close to where people can see the finish would potentially kill the event as a large part of the sponsors’ visibility would evaporate. Besides an ocean crossing or ocean race is from shore to shore, not close to shore.
And why stop doing it? I have followed the Whitbread/Volvo since a washing machine manufacturer won the first one, and while I admit my memory may have missed or forgotten some details, and I cannot remember any such accident ever – not in Volvo Ocean Race finishes.
I have been on chase RIBs welcoming the lead boat as it comes out of the gloom of a nautical dawn, been on or driven the VOR photo RIB at numerous VOR in-ports and leg stats and the only time there was any issue was when an over-enthusiastic power boat owner encroached on the well marshalled race course.
Just think of the numbers, multiple races, each race with multiple legs, each leg with multiple finishers and many in poor or NO light and yet this is the first time this has happened AND it was 30 miles out to sea.
On the other hand there are multiple reports of collisions between yachts and other vessels way out to sea – do we stop all yacht racing in areas where there may be fishing boats or other shipping?
There has, perhaps naturally, been a knee jerk reaction to the death of a fellow seafarer but it is most certainly NOT a common situation with the Volvo Ocean Race.
Everyone needs to calm down, slow down, stop “specuguessing” and leave it to those concerned with – and responsible for – finding out what actually caused the collision, suggest the solutions for the future and then ensure, as best as humanly possible (and only if deemed necessary) they are implemented them into race (and perhaps the sport in general) to help avoid a repetition.
Let’s not forget that the sea is NOT our natural environment and accidents, and yes, deaths at sea are sadly not a rare occurrence. Just a matter of weeks before this event over 20 sailors lost their lives when a freighter and tanker collided only a few hundred miles from Hong Kong off the Chinese coast.
Yes be sad for the sailor who lost his life but let’s not throw the sport out with the seawater and also lets leave the professionals to investigate the causes and reach sensible decisions unencumbered by less well informed, more emotional arguments.
-Shanghai Sailor
