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| Tipsy on the rally to Hainan Island last December, here (Spencer Suen photo) |
Below story in today's South China Morning Post. Tipsy Frenz is well-known to us, a pretty Wauquiez 45s, moored close to Xena, raced against them many times, including in the last race to Subic. The Skipper, Leon Chan, was our scrutineer for that race.
Luckily all well....UPDATE (30 June): just came across this report from a few weeks ago. With this nice photo from Guy Nowell. There's longer report at the link:
UPDATE (21 June): at recent China Coast Regatta Committee meeting, Walder Ip, who was on Tipsy Frenz on that trip tells us: it happened at 2:30 in the morning. Most crew were on deck, just 3 down below. The folks below reported water coming in. It was investigated, but as they did, the water was coming in faster, pretty soon half-way up the companionway steps.
Walder phoned Alex Johnston, the Race Officer, on Satphone (the SSB was not working, because of battery being under water...). Alex told us at the meeting that he could hear the water coming in, over the phone (!).
Tipsy set off their EPIRB and Alex contacted HK Marine Dept. Mardep in turn contacted Taiwan authorities.
Water kept pouring in and the crew couldn't figure out where it was coming from. To this day they still don't know what happened. Skipper Leon Chan called for the "abandon ship" routine and all was prepared (here, the Safety as Sea Course kicking in). They kept on looking for the leak until they couldn't any more for the water too high.
The two liferafts were deployed, with painters holding them to the boat. When it was clear they would have to leave the boat, they stepped into the liferafts, at the same hight as the boat now was, just about under water. By this stage, the Satphone wasn't working any more -- out of battery, I think -- and they set off their flares.
Meantime, back at the Yacht Club, Alex had set in train the emergency procedures, which involved all those needed coming to the Club and contacting the relevant authorities and monitoring the situation as best they could.
A Chinese commercial vessel was contacted and came to their aid. Getting onto the boat was not a simple procedure, Walder says, with waves of 5-6 metres. A couple of go-arounds before they could board, most on the lee, but a couple on the more dangerous windward side.
In the end, all safe on board the Chinese vessel, in the hands of friendly (mainland) Chinese merchant sailors. And delivered to Taiwan, where the local authorities treated them well and with professionalism.
The earlier South China Morning Post report is below the fold...
| Skipper tells of escape from sinking race yacht |
Crew 'stayed calm' as they floated on life rafts in Taiwan Strait for 90 minutes before being rescued |
| A skipper yesterday told how he and his crew dramatically escaped from their sinking boat during the Taiwan Strait Race organised by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.Leon Chan and his 10 crew were brought to safety after floating on two life rafts for about 90 minutes in the early hours of Sunday.
"Everybody was calm," he said. "They all knew what they had to do."
Chan was speaking to club officials from aboard the Hong Kong cargo ship Easy Success, which was heading for Manila last night after rescuing the nine men and two women from danger.
The drama started when their boat, Tipsy Frenz, started taking on water. Chan, also chairman of the race organisers, said: "The water was coming in really fast.
"As crew safety is paramount and it was clear there was no point in considering the boat any more, the order was given to abandon ship."
After getting on two rafts - five members in one and six in the other - a flare was set off. The crew drifted for about 90 minutes before they saw lights from a ship and set off another flare. The ship, Easy Success, wasn't supposed to be in the vicinity but had diverted its course to Manila to avoid a potential typhoon.
Chan said: "Although we are all amateur sailors, everyone was calm throughout. No one panicked and they all acted like professionals.
"We were well-trained before, even before the survival courses. We were able to practically just walk onto the [two] life rafts. We then cut the lines between the rafts and Tipsy, and within a few minutes she was gone."
He added: "Apart from a few bruises, everyone is okay."
Tipsy Frenz, a 14-metre Wauquiez Centurion 45S, was one of four boats taking part in the race and was heading to Kaohsiung . The club refused to divulge the names of the crew aboard, but it is believed the majority were Chinese sailors.
Weather reports for the area at the time of the incident indicated wind speeds of 20 to 25 knots from the northeast and seas of three to four metres.
The club said it first received a Mayday call from Chan at 2.37am on Sunday. The crew were picked up four hours later.
The remaining yachts in the race were expected to arrive in Kaohsiung by midday yesterday. Easy Success is due to reach Manila this morning.
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