Transpac 2019: loss of 70' sailboat

[thataway]

It's been 40 years since I did a Transpac (Los Angeles to Hawaii race), and I still follow the races. This year is the 50th running. It is an interesting race, with Hobie 33's racing against 100' all out ocean racers and foiling Trimarans who are averaging over 500 miles a day. A couple of nights ago OEX, a 1986 Andrews 70 had her rudder post, support and hull bottom fail--she sank in a matter of minutes several hundred miles off Los Angeles. Roy Disney's (Nephew of the Roy Disney) boat was a few miles behind, and fortunately had their VHF radio on Channel 16, and heard the MayDay. Within less than an hour Disney's Pyewacket, also an Andrews 70 had taken aboard all 9 member's of OEX's crew, abandoned the race and were headed back to Marina Del Rey. Here is the video interview of the skipper of OEX and Roy Disney after they arrived back. It brings to mind what sailing is all about--taking care of each other.

There was no hesitation that Disney was going to give up his race, and take aboard the crew of the sunken boat. One might ask why not continue on to Hawaii with the extra 9 souls aboard. One major issue may have been the amount of food aboard. Although most racers carry emergency rations, the main supply would be for 10 crew and perhaps 10 days. Water is another issue--there is an oblatory minimum for each crew member and an extra 5 gallons for each crew member to be sealed away in case of emergency. Some of the Andrew's 70's have water makers--some don't.

C Dory's seem to be far better "investments" than large ocean racing boats. Part of the discussion on Sailing Anarchy was about the Andrews 70's which are reaching over 30 years of age. Currently there is at least one for sale at the bargain price of $200,000, she was last updated about 9 years ago. A new suit of sails would be in the $135,000 range. A new mast and rigging would cost $150,000. Makes a new 90 hp outboard sound pretty cheap...

Eight (out of 90 entered) boats have had to return due to structural failures--most involving the rudder and probably hitting debris. Maserati is a 70' foiling trimaran, which set a new New York to San Francisco record a couple of years ago, hit a large object in the dark--and put a hole in one of the amas, as well as had damage to one of the rudders, when she was during at 25 knots at night. The crew was able to contain the damage (watertight bulkheads, took the wing off the rudder and has managed to keep that ama out of the water, since they have been on starboard tack for the majority of the race. In the last few years there has been more and more debris along this track to Hawaii. Some believe this is still from the Tsunami which hit Japan in 2011.

[hardee]

Really good for the OEX crew that Disney was in the area. That could have had a really different (bad) outcome. Disney was acting in true maritime (gentlemanly) order, something many "boaters" know nothing about these days.

Harvey
SleepyC

[thataway]

Harvey, the EPRIB had been set off, and the CG contacted on the Sat Phone as well. It was very fortunate that Roy Disney was coming on watch, that the VHF radio was on, and that Roy Disney asked his navigator to give him a vector to OEX. Disney had last known OEX's position to be a bit further upwind.

I believe that 99% of the other racing boats would have taken the crew aboard--What I don't know is how many would have immediately turned around and abandoned the race. Disney has reputation of winning many races and setting records. He had donated his multimillion dollar 86 foot boat to a charity which is involved with Sailing in Orange County a few years back. He and the crew of both boats are a class act! Also the crew of both boats were highly professional. OEX didn't get into the life rafts until they saw the running lights of Pyewacket. OEX decks were becoming awash at that point. The rescue was much easier (if you could describe as any rescue in the dark, middle of the ocean with 20 knots of breeze "easy") from the life rafts.

If one of the racing boats had not stopped quickly, AMVER would have been activated and the nearest merchant ship dispatched to the rescue...that might have meant the next port of call was Panama in 2 weeks! I have been following the racers on satellite AIS as well as the tracking map. There are hundreds of merchant ships near the race path. One of the trimarans was able to convince the US Navy to divert their live fire exercise, 200 miles off the coast so the yachts could safely continue on course. (We ended up in the middle of one of those, and I called CG San Diego on SSB--who notified the skipper of the USS Coral Sea about our concerns. We were told that the fleet had us located, and we could continue safely on course to Hawaii.)

The accident happened close to the range limit of the Sikorsky MH-60T Jayhawk (Colby may comment on that), of 300 miles. The CG helicopter could only take 6 crew at a time--so two flights, or two choppers would have to be involved--IF it was within the range...

[localboy]

We used to go down to the Ala Wai Marina to check out the winners when they arrived. Especially in the early 90s. My brother spent much time down there as his sailboat’s slip was there. This is tragic but could’ve been much worse. That is a very unforgiving ocean.