Last evening we lost a Capri 25 during an race. It was blowing 12-15, with 22 knots gusts accompanied with a 20 degree shift. And serious waves at the leeward mark.
The Capri was going downwind under spinnaker when a gust hit and it rounded up and broached. Due to the strength of the breeze, the boat was held over with the mast tip in the water. Water downflooded through the open companionway and the boat totally inverted.
The boat was stable in the water inverted, and the crew of 6 attempted to right the boat. They got it rolled part way and the companionway came to the surface. The 'diving bell' effect was broken, and the boat immediately flooded and sank in 30 seconds. It's now in 85 feet of water in the middle of Lake Minnetonka. The entire crew was picked up by the RC and other competitors, and are all safe.
Lessons?
Well the first is, in general keep boards in (and top pulled closed) if you are in squirrelly conditions. But easy to say after the fact. And this is hard for racing boats, and boats that use the companionway to launch kites and do pit work. But important to think about, in particular if your boat design has a history of downflooding. And sinking. Like Capri 25s. Any boat with a wide V-shaped companionway, common on small boats to open up the interior, is at risk.
Second if your keelboat DOES totally invert, think VERY HARD about where you attempt to right it. Clearly the deepest part of Lake Minnetonka was not a great place. Upside down is better than sunk. I'm pretty sure they where thinking about getting back in the race. Letting the boat drift into shallow water might have made saving it easier, or at least possible.
Was a crazy night; of the 100 boats in the 7 fleets, I think 15 DNFed. At least one more dis-masting, and a broken rudder.
The Capri was going downwind under spinnaker when a gust hit and it rounded up and broached. Due to the strength of the breeze, the boat was held over with the mast tip in the water. Water downflooded through the open companionway and the boat totally inverted.
The boat was stable in the water inverted, and the crew of 6 attempted to right the boat. They got it rolled part way and the companionway came to the surface. The 'diving bell' effect was broken, and the boat immediately flooded and sank in 30 seconds. It's now in 85 feet of water in the middle of Lake Minnetonka. The entire crew was picked up by the RC and other competitors, and are all safe.
Lessons?
Well the first is, in general keep boards in (and top pulled closed) if you are in squirrelly conditions. But easy to say after the fact. And this is hard for racing boats, and boats that use the companionway to launch kites and do pit work. But important to think about, in particular if your boat design has a history of downflooding. And sinking. Like Capri 25s. Any boat with a wide V-shaped companionway, common on small boats to open up the interior, is at risk.
Second if your keelboat DOES totally invert, think VERY HARD about where you attempt to right it. Clearly the deepest part of Lake Minnetonka was not a great place. Upside down is better than sunk. I'm pretty sure they where thinking about getting back in the race. Letting the boat drift into shallow water might have made saving it easier, or at least possible.
Was a crazy night; of the 100 boats in the 7 fleets, I think 15 DNFed. At least one more dis-masting, and a broken rudder.
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