Coastal classic

Why can't you just wait for the process to run its course and the information to be released officially?

I think both these posts are grossly unfair.

1. Unless you actually have inside information you don't know when the incident took place

2. Like most of us, you probably only know when the first radio call was made, that does not equal the time of the incident - the first gybe on the tracker takes place only 30-40 minutes before the radio call - a shit load can happen in 40 minutes when you have an severely injured crew member and two more injured crew.

3. It's not known how long it took the crew to get the crew member below, it's not known how long he was responsive for before going unconscious (it's known that he was responsive for a period of time).  You don't know if it was the first gybe, or the second gybe.

4. It's known that the crew gave CPR for over 2 hours before Coast Guard arrived.

Anonymous armchair critics reaching a conclusion from two pieces of public information should really shut the fuck up until the full report is released.   And if you do have inside information then you should respect the position of privilege you are in and still shut the fuck up.

There will be a coronial inquest, this is a legal requirement and it will happen.  It will probably be public because it is of significant interest.  But it may be behind closed doors if the facts are clear simple and there are no obvious learnings to be made, however I doubt that very very much.

There will also be a MaritimeNZ report - a person has died in uncommon circumstances on a iconic New Zealand yacht race.

I would expect both to happen before the next coastal classic because of the public interest in the case - the whole NZ racing community is talking about this.  It may take longer, but it will happen - that is the due process and it will be followed.

No I do not expect any prosecutions.

So, you state the whole NZ racing community is talking about this, but for some reason, you don't want us to talk about it, on a sailing forum?

Are you a bit simple?

The boom has always been a hazard. Sadly.
Perhaps people have been overly focused on liferafts and flares, rather than keeping your head down (literally).

Moving the topic onto safety cultures and practices, what is the first safety thing you say to regulars or new people on your boat?

The first thing I say is to always have one hand on the boat when moving around. Always, even on the berth (so that people get conditioned to moving around holding on).
After that I think I cover the location of fire blankets and extinguishers, and where the VHF is (i.e. we go through location of safety equipment, which might even include some flares). Location of equipment also cover the fridge and how to keep your drinks cold (just to lighten the mood of the briefing, and so we don't suffer warm drinks). This is in the context of having mates on the boat for a weekend. My first focus is on behaviour, rather than listing where all the safety gear is. Behaviour being how to stay on the boat / not get thrown around and get injured.

I can see the points being made by both Mr Fish and Mr Ducky have some validity.

Human nature is to talk about things like this so social media will have threads just like this, to expect them not too is a little naive. But anyone who takes comments and info from social media sites as being gospel has to be a little special and not in the best way.

It was a ugly evening with the wind in a direction that encouraged pushing for a hell slide and shit happened, as it does often. Sadly this time it end horrendously badly but I think it's good we discuss stuff like this, within respectable grounds as people are rightfully grieving, as we all learn, or should, which in theory that should prevent the same tragedy happening again.

I had people on the boat next to them and they say it was OK but the wave state made it ugly and twitchy. They are not surprised at what happened i.e strongly suspected chinese gybe*, even if shocked and dismayed at the end result. They said they came bloody close themselves a few times.

* - question has been raise, suss new thread.

There have been at least 2 other deaths I know of during the race but both were medical events, heart attacks, so not necessarily boat related where this one certainly appears to have been so sadly.

My Ma in law spent 3 weeks in hospital after being nailed by a boom on a nasty day. She was a postie so very fit, a bit of a hard arse and it was on their Harmonic i.e small mains with short booms, but it dropped her like a stone, her memory is blank from leaving the bay (Mullet Bay) until waking up 48hrs later in Akl Hospital. Being nailed by the boom of a 50fter in anything bar a limp fart strength breeze just can not end well. She heard the news about Simon and said it reminded her how lucky she was. She lives up in the bay and still follows sailing intensely.