SHK/Scallywag & VOR Working an MOB

rgranger · Mar 26, 2018

Thanks for sharing

Rick D · Mar 26, 2018

Here's hoping... that's about one of the last places you'd want to be MOB in challenging conditions. At least he was as prepared as he could be and likewise is the crew.

Davidasailor26 · Mar 26, 2018

10 hours with no updates in 9* Celsius water... Sadly I'm not optimistic.

Apex · Mar 26, 2018

fb update shows they called off the MOB search. Now "lost at sea"
sad update and a harsh lesson on the real dangers

Apex · Mar 26, 2018

It was on my Facebook feed, correction, from Sailing Illustrated.

shemandr · Mar 26, 2018

A harsh lesson indeed. Sad for the victim, the family and the surviving crew. My sympathies to all of them.

shemandr · Mar 26, 2018

Sorry to prematurely offer sympathies. I understand that if my comments somehow found their way to the families it could be painful for them. I regret that.

Gunni · Mar 27, 2018

Second MOB for Scallywag. They lost a rookie bowman and got lucky, he’s going home to mom. No tether, no PFD, and wearing that ridiculous trendy sailing couture - all black.

AlastairLC · Mar 27, 2018

Two deaths and one very close call. For what? So Volvo can sell more cars? They need to stop this insanity out of respect for the dead and to prevent more deaths from occurring. If these kind of races continue, the format and rules need a complete overhaul.

Gunni · Mar 27, 2018

At least they stand a proper watch, unlike that Vendee Globe single-hand circumnav race. Taking risks is a choice, as long as they stop running down fishing boats and grounding out on reefs I’m fine with the spectacle.

Jackdaw · Mar 27, 2018

AlastairLC said:
Two deaths and one very close call. For what? So Volvo can sell more cars? They need to stop this insanity out of respect for the dead and to prevent more deaths from occurring. If these kind of races continue, the format and rules need a complete overhaul.

100 people will die in car accidents today in the USA. Lets keep this in perspective.

Life without risk is not worth living. If they find a systemic issue, I agree that that should make a change. The boats ARE dangerous. But you cannot boil all the risk out of this type of event, and if you did it would not be fun for anyone. Heck even when we race I'm balancing risk vs reward.

danstanford · Mar 28, 2018

Jackdaw said:
100 people will die in car accidents today in the USA. Lets keep this in perspective.

Life without risk is not worth living. If they find a systemic issue, I agree that that should make a change. The boats ARE dangerous. But you cannot boil all the risk out of this type of event, and if you did it would not be fun for anyone. Heck even when we race I'm balancing risk vs reward.

My wife nailed it at the breakfast able after we adjusted to the sadness for the sailor, his family, and the team. She said "isn't it wonderful that he got to go doing something he loved and at the edge....when he had to go".

thinwater · Mar 28, 2018

Folks that have not pursued adventure are not going to understand the value he got from this. You try to take precautions, but if you push the envelope, the raven will always be on your shoulder. Many think it is this thrill that attracts people like John, but they are wrong. Only a foolish person courts risk for it's own sake, and that is not case here. It is the need to see what you can accomplish using skill in the face of pressure.

Safety can, and perhaps should, be regulated in our day-to-day world. Speed limits are good and I'd hate to get hurt going to get a gallon of milk. But I would hate a world where pushing yourself was illegal.

25yearslater · Mar 28, 2018

While I share the sorrow of a fellow sailor losing his life there is a massive difference between sailing for sport and other terrestrial risks. We have no immediate response mechanism to assist in times of urgency. Assistance often comes via professional mariners diverting from tightly scheduled itineraries at massive costs. An average size container ship burns in excess of 120 metric tons of fuel per day. At 390 bucks per ton that's a heap of dollars. Ports are scheduling arrivals in ever decreasing time windows for off and on loading where a delay can run into millions of dollars of lost revenue. While no one can assign a dollar value to human life it is incumbent on everyone to consider the cost associated with rescues far from land and reduce the risks. If we don't someone will do it for us and I think that will not be to our liking.

Jackdaw · Mar 28, 2018

Ouch. Momentarily untethered to deal with a FR0 sheet, and hit by the boom during an accidental gybe cause by a surf down a wave. Talk about a freaky set of circumstances. I'd would HATE to have been the person driving at that moment. Most times there is nothing the driver can to to prevent the gybe, but they will be thinking about it forever.