Skip to content

To the North of Bermuda

What a difference a few degrees of latitude can make. About a thousand miles to the north of Bermuda competitors in the OSTAR single- and doublehanded transatlantic race from Plymouth, UK, to Newport, RI, were clocked by heavy 60-knot winds and 45-foot seas 900 miles miles east of Newfoundland. The racers are generally well-prepared and experienced; nevertheless the heavy weather took a serious toll on five of the 21-boat fleet with a sinking, dismasting and more. Fortunately crew from all five boats were rescued and are safe, with one now resting comfortably on the RMS Queen Mary 2.

Here’s a summary of boat damage from the Royal Western Yacht Club site:

Tamarind suffered severe damage. Skipper well with no injuries. Rescued by Queen Mary 2 en route to Halifax.

Happy dismasted. Both crew rescued by oceangoing tug APL Forward. No injuries reported.

Furia sunk. Crew rescued by survey vessel Thor Magna. No injuries reported.

Harmonii retired with mainsail and track damage. Heading under engine for the Azores. No injuries.

Suomi Kudu retired with mainsail problems. Heading back to UK. No injuries.

The rest of the fleet carries on and can be followed here.

Leave a Comment




Wipe-out! Despite the Delta Ditch Run’s gnarly conditions — or perhaps because of them — the 28-boat Moore 24 fleet garnered 11 top-20 finish positions in PHRF Monohull.
After a slow morning of racing in Bermuda, several hundred clicks to refresh our browsers, and more than a little disgruntlement at the coverage of this year’s America’s Cup, it’s official: Team New Zealand just beat Artemis Racing 5 races to 2, and has realized a long awaited rematch with Oracle Team USA. 
Some four dozen Alamedans took to their bikes on Sunday for a tour of separate proposed developments along the island’s North Waterfront designed to add housing, commercial space and public waterways access.