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ALL AT SEA JULY 2019
DEE’S DRAMATIC RESCUE AS a committed advocate for safety at sea, record-breaking yachtswoman Dee Caffari MBE has revealed details of her own shocking first-hand experience of falling overboard during a recent offshore race, with the hope that her story will highlight the lessons learned for the benefit of other sailors. Dee, who has sailed around the world six times and is the first woman to have sailed single-handed and non-stop around the world in both directions, was competing in the SoCal 300 ocean race from Santa Barbara to San Diego when the unimaginable happened and she found herself viewing the boat from the water. In her blog Dee explained: “I was easing the spinnaker as smoothly as possible to avoid an override and to help the helm gain control and ensure they could bear away again. “As the boat continued to heel, I remember not having anywhere to place my foot to leeward to brace myself. It was then that I felt myself falling. “I assumed I would land on the leeward side deck with my back against the lifelines. Instead I had cleared the lifelines and the next thing I knew I was viewing the boat and all the action from about 20 feet away in the water.
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“I wanted to shout out to let them know where I was and that I was okay, but I was being pulled through the water by the spinnaker sheet that I was still holding on to. I decided to try and kick for the aft quarter of the yacht. At the same time I was flailing my legs around to try and move in the water, the crew on board were dropping the spinnaker and driving the boat head to wind to slow down. This action facilitated my movement towards the back of the boat. Here, I was able to grab the aft stanchion of the pushpit and I saw a familiar face of one of the crew. “Once the spinnaker was secured down the forward hatch, the crew came aft and recovered me from the
water. I could sense the relief from those around me and this heightened my embarrassment.” In a bid to raise awareness about the best safety equipment and procedures, Dee has admitted the fault is entirely her own for not clipping on with her tether. Dee has also emphasised the importance of wearing a man overboard device, such as the Ocean Signal rescueME MOB1, to quickly alert the boat’s crew and other vessels in the vicinity to the location of the casualty. Read the full story of Dee’s dramatic ocean encounter at allatsea.co.uk/news. Read this month’s MOB expert’s column on page 39.
INVICTUS DEBUT The latest arrival in the Invictus Yacht family is the CX270. This craft, with two 220hp outboard engines, will make its world debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September.
NEWS SNAPS CRICK BOAT SHOW
More than 27,000 people visited the 20th Crick Boat Show, which took place at Crick Marina in Northamptonshire, and the sunshine on the Saturday brought in the highest ever single day attendance with just over 10,000 people visiting. Matthew Symonds, national boating manager for the Canal & River Trust, said: “Every year Crick Boat Show, now the UK’s biggest inland waterways festival, celebrates our fantastic network of canals and rivers. It is the perfect event to find everything you need to know about inland boating, with something for boaters old and new.” Next year’s show dates will be 22 - 25 May.
BARTON’S VIDEOS
When it comes to your deck gear, it is wise to undertake basic maintenance on an annual basis. To help you understand how straightforward it is Barton Marine is putting together a series of ‘How to’ videos, which are available on it’s YouTube Channel.
SUFFOLK MEETING
Over 6 -7 July, Aldeburgh Yacht Club in Suffolk will be hosting its first joint Flying Fifteen and Laser Open Meeting. Competitors are invited to experience the tidal waters of the River Alde and enjoy everything the area has to offer. www.aldeburghyc.org.uk/sailing
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