Pete Thomas Outdoors

Sailboat abandoned by Abby Sunderland after Indian Ocean rescue found off Australia

By Pete Thomas

A sailboat abandoned more than eight years ago in the Indian Ocean, after the dramatic rescue of its 16-year-old U.S. captain, has been discovered adrift off South Australia’s Kangaroo Island.

The 40-foot Wild Eyes, its hull encrusted with barnacles, was last piloted by Abby Sunderland as she attempted to become the youngest person to solo-sail around the world.

But on June 10, 2010, while struggling in a ferocious storm hundreds of miles from land, Sunderland activated two emergency beaconsafter a giant wave rolled her vessel, destroying its mast and communications equipment.

Wild Eyes was spotted 20 hours later by the crew of an Australian patrol aircraft. Sunderland, from Thousand Oaks, Calif., was rescued two days later by the crew of a French fishing vessel. The location was so remote that Wild Eyes was abandoned.

Abby’s attempt to sail around the world began after her brother Zac had completed a successful solo-circumnavigation at the age of 17.

In a book, titled, “Unsinkable: A Young Woman’s Courageous Battle on the High Seas,” Abby described what it was like when the enormous wave rolled Wild Eyes, causing her to temporarily lose consciousness:

“Seconds later, I woke up lying on the roof with things falling on top of me. The engine box cover, the floorboard, the teakettle, my toolbag, loose tools that I had just been using –- all hitting me in the chest, legs, face. The sea had turned Wild Eyes upside down.”

–Top image courtesy of ©Lisa Gizara/Gizara Arts; bottom image via ©Pete Thomas

Skipper ejected as 70-foot trimaran capsizes during training

The captain of a 70-foot trimaran suffered a minor back injury after being ejected as the sailboat was capsized by an unexpected powerful gust.

The accompanying footage shows the dramatic incident involving the vessel Virbac-Paprec, during a training sail for a weekend race off Belle Ile, France. 

 

The red arrow follows Jean-Pierre Dick as he plummets into the water, beginning at the 43-second mark. The vessel then completes the flip, breaking its mast into three pieces.

Dick was winched to safety via helicopter after the Thursday afternoon accident. He complained of back pain and on Sunday he told the French-language BFMTV.com that he suffered a minor compression fracture.

"It will take me a week or two weeks to recover and get over my emotions," he said.

His crewman, Roland Jourdain, managed to stay aboard and was not injured. Wind speed was 15 to 20 knots during the training run, but the stronger gust caught the crew by surprise.

"I'm still in shock. Everything happened so fast," Dick told Sailing Scuttlebutt. "I felt a strong gust hit us from behind… I fell from a great height. I hit something and fell into the water. It was violent. Fortunately, I managed to get back on board very quickly. I quickly realized that my back hurt. We waited for the rescue teams, feeling great sadness."

The pair was training for the Transat Jacques Vabre.

–Pete Thomas, via GrindTv

Volvo Ocean Race announces daunting new route for 2014-15

 

The Volvo Ocean Race has unveiled a daunting new route for the 12th running of the around-the-world sailing competition, to be held in 2014-15.

Competitors aboard 65-foot racing yachts will begin this nine-month, 40,000-nautical-mile marathon on Oct. 4, 2014, in Alicante, Spain.

From there stops include Brazil, United Arab Emirates, China, New Zealand, United States, Portugal, France and Sweden.

"This route has never really been part of any ocean race any time before," said Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad. "And when you have that element there’s a new strategy, there’s a new route, there’s new weather, there’s new challenges for the sailors.

"That is exciting, not only for us but for the sailors because no-one can claim they’ve done this before."

The top features Frostad describing the new route, and the bottom is a shorter animated version highlighting the route.

 

 

 

 

Volvo Ocean Race yacht pounded by giant waves (video)

One of the more dramatic episodes during the Volvo Ocean Race involved the crew of CAMPER, which was blasted by giant waves this week as it traveled at high speed on the Bay of Biscay in the North Atlantic.

The event was captured on video (above) and the incredible footage shows what types of conditions sailors in this around-the-world competition sometimes have to endure.

CAMPER skipper Chris Nicholson is at the helm on the left. He gets briefly knocked down. His crew mate (in the yellow hat) takes the brunt of the assault.

This occurred toward the end of the competition's eighth leg, from Lisbon, Portugal, to Lorient in northwestern France.

During the previous leg CAMPER (of Emirates Team New Zealand) narrowly missed striking a whale thanks to the quick actions of helmsman Roberto "Chuny" Bermudez.

Groupama was first to complete Leg 8, with CAMPER second. Groupama holds a comfortable overall lead with one leg remaining.

Racing yacht's near-miss with large whale captured on video

 

The helmsman aboard a racing yacht may have averted disaster by swinging the vessel to the starboard moments before it struck a large whale in its path.

Roberto "Chuny" Bermudez was guiding CAMPER swiftly across the Atlantic during the seventh stage of the Volvo Ocean Race when the whale surfaced just off the bow. (Viewers can see the whale eight seconds into the video, and in slow-motion at 23 seconds.)

Media crew member Hamish Hooper stated Tuesday on the race website:

"With reflexes like a cat he narrowly missed what could have been the equivalent of a runaway freight train colliding with a truck. We were doing just over 20 knots and all of a sudden the boat lurched to starboard, just staying in control.

"Nico (skipper Chris Nicholson) popped his head up to see Chuny looking as if he has just seen his life flash before his eyes. I think he had. It would have been seriously bad for both the whale and us."

The seventh of nine stages of the around-the-world race is from Miami to Lisbon, Portugal. CAMPER is in fifth place.

Victims in deadly sailing race were not wearing life jackets

A U.S. Coast Guard investigator confirmed Sunday that three sailors who were killed during an apparent collision during the Newport-to-Ensenada Yacht Race were not wearing floatation vests.

"None were wearing life jackets," Bill Fitzgerald, the Coast Guard's lead investigator in the case, said in a news release issued by race organizers.

A fourth sailor aboard the 37-foot vessel Aegean, which appears to have been involved in a crash with a much larger vessel, remains missing.

The Aegean was one of 210 boats entered in the 125-mile race from Newport Beach, Calif., to the Mexican port of Ensenada.

The vessel disappeared from an online race tracking system at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday. A daylong U.S. Coast Guard search turned up scattered wreckage near the Coronado Islands,  just south of U.S. waters and about eight miles offshore.

Coast Guard crews recovered three bodies. Two were identified as Joseph Lester Stewart, 64, of Bradenton, Fla., and William Reed Johnson Jr., 57, of Torrance, Calif. The identity of the third recovered body was not released pending notification of next of kin.

Theo Mavromatis, owner and skipper of Aegean, was said to be aboard.

Exactly what happened remains unclear but a collision seems the most plausible explanation. Large ships ply the same waters as sailboats participating in the annual race to Ensenada.

"We haven't discounted that possibility," Fitzgerald said. "We're still tracking down any vessel that may have been in their area."

It's unknown whether floatation vests might have helped. Wreckage was mostly small pieces strewn over a three-mile area. Winds were light and swells were running 3-6 feet.

The Newport-to-Ensenada race had until Saturday enjoyed a sterling safety record. These are the first fatalities in the 65-year history of a storied competition that used to attract 500-plus entrants per year.

Mavromatis is president and chief executive of Aegean Consulting Inc., in Manhattan Beach, Calif. The company specializes in telecommunications and aerospace industries.

Ray Pollock of Marina Sailing, which rented Aegean when Mavromatis was not using the vessel, told Redondo Beach Patch that Mavromatis was participating in the race for the seventh time. He won his class in 2011 and 2009.

The vessel had a new engine and an experienced crew. "I’d probably rule out operator error,” Pollock said.

-- Image showing Aegean and its crew at the start of the Newport-to-Ensenada Yacht Race is courtesy of Susan Hoffman / Newportbeach.patch.com

Teen sailor Laura Dekker safely crosses Indian Ocean

Dutch sailor Laura Dekker, 16, has successfully crossed the Indian Ocean and has made port in Durban, South Africa, her agent announced Monday.

Dekker, whose is on a controversial quest to become the youngest person to sail around the world, had kept her Indian Ocean route a secret because of concerns about piracy. She has been sailing aboard a 38-foot sailboat named Guppy.

Lyall Mercer, Dekker's agent, stated in a news release that the sailor endured periods of harrowing seas during her crossing from Australia to South Africa. "Every sailor knows the Indian Ocean is a dangerous place, but Laura did it in style and this is a credit to her professionalism and ability," Mercer said.

Southern California's Abby Sunderland was rescued from the Indian Ocean in June of 2010 during attempt to become the youngest to solo-circumnavigate the planet in a sailboat.

Australia's Jessica Watson, who completed a non-stop circumnavigation in May of 2010, just days before turning 17, is unofficially the youngest. ("Youngest" records are no longer kept by governing agencies.)

Dekker, who turned 16 during her layover in Darwin, Australia, has now crossed the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. She must still round the Cape of Good Hope and sail to Gibraltar, up the west coast of Africa, to complete her odyssey.

Hurricane Jova 'winks' as it approaches Mexico's west coast

As residents and tourists in western Mexico brace for heavy rain, flooding and ferocious winds generated by approaching Hurricane Jova, scientists are marveling at satellite images that appear to show Jova "winking," or opening and closing its eye (see images above).

This phenomenon is caused when the eye becomes cloud covered when viewed from above.

"In addition to Jova's wink, the infrared AIRS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite got a cold stare from Jova's eye," states a passage in a NASA story on the storm, which has prompted hurricane warnings from Punta San Telmo northward to Cabo Corrientes near Puerto Vallarta. "Infrared data measures cloud top temperatures, and NASA AIRS instrument noticed they were as cold as -112 degrees Fahrenheit in the thunderstorms in Jova's eyewall.

"Those frigid cloud top temperatures indicate there's a tremendous amount of power in the storm."

Jova, whose center was expected to make landfall late Tuesday afternoon, was a Category 3 storm when the accompanying images were captured, showing an open and closed eye. But late Tuesday morning the storm was downgraded to Category 2 status, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

That's still a very powerful storm, which could drop as much as 20 inches of rain in areas. Hundreds of homes have been evacuated in the state of Jalisco, according to reports.

Puerto Vallarta, a major tourist destination in Jalisco, is playing a key role in the Pan American Games, which begin Friday in nearby Guadalajara. Sailing, ocean swimming and beach volleyball are among sports scheduled to be held in Puerto Vallarta.

"Vallarta Yacht Club and Paradise Village Marina are well-versed with both weather issues and major sailing events," said Mike Danielson of PV Sailing. "We do not foresee any delays, just a lot of work. All boats have been stowed in parking garages."

Puerto Vallarta is generally well-protected from hurricanes, thanks to nearby mountain ranges, which serve as a storm break, and its sprawling bay. But surges generated by Hurricane Kenna in 2002 caused extensive damage along the coast.

With Jova expected to make landfall to the south, opposite the Sierra Madre range, storm surges should not be a major problem in Puerta Vallarta. But residents are not taking Jova lightly.

"I've seen a lot of tape on larger windows, and that says something here," said Pat Henry, a longtime resident who once solo-curcumnavigated the planet in a sailboat. "In 2002, my boat came through fine, but I lost almost everything in the apartment where I was living. This time I'm on higher ground farther from the water."

Jova is expected to weaken rapidly not long after making landfall.

-- Images are courtesy of NASA

Laura Dekker, 16, sets sail into piracy-plagued Indian Ocean

How did your daughter celebrate her 16th birthday?

Laura Dekker, a Dutch adventurer aspiring to become the youngest sailor to solo-circumnavigate the planet, spent hers preparing for what figures to be the most dangerous leg of her remarkable journey: crossing the Indian Ocean, which is notorious for unpredictable weather and, perhaps worse, pirates.

Dekker, whose controversial voyage began in August of 2010 from Gibraltar, has safely crossed the Atlantic and Pacific aboard her 38-foot sailboat, Guppy. She left Darwin, Australia, on Monday on a westerly course toward Africa. The Indian Ocean is her final hurdle and greatest challenge. Her team did not reveal her exact route because of concerns for her safety.

"We are all confident that the necessary precautions have been taken," said Dekker's manager, Lyall Mercer. "Laura is relaxed about the journey but we want to be wise and provide her with as much protection as possible."

While acts of piracy are most common off Somalia, on the African coast near the Gulf of Aden, they have occurred elsewhere in the Indian Ocean.

Zac Sunderland, who completed a 13-month solo-circumnavigation at 17 in July of 2009, was sailing in the same general direction as Dekker, toward Cocos Keeling Islands, when he encountered what seemed to be pirates investigating his presence.

They were aboard a large wooden boat that did not register on his radar screen. They did not answer calls on the radio as they approached, and they did not fly any national flags. Winds were light and swells large, so Sunderland could not escape. When the mysterious vessel crossed into the wake of his 36-foot sailboat, its crew remained hidden, and after a few tense minutes, the vessel veered off and away.

The vast and tumultuous Indian Ocean was not kind to any of Dekker's recent young predecessors. This includes Abby Sunderland, who at 16 endured days of large seas and harsh weather before her 40-foot sailboat, Wild Eyes, was rolled and damaged by a rogue wave, which prompted a lengthy and intense rescue effort.

Zac spent three harrowing days and nights in gale-force winds trying to repair loose rigging and prevent it from bashing a hole in his boat's hull.

England's Mike Perham and Australia's Jessica Watson also experienced long periods of severe weather while making the crossing.

Watson, who completed her nonstop circumnavigation days before turning 17 , is the youngest person to have sailed around the world alone.

Dekker, who has an extensive sailing background and was born on a yacht in New Zealand, has more than a year to take that distinction. But during the year-plus she has already been sailing, and enjoying long breaks in various exotic destinations, she has rarely thought about finishing with any kind of a record.

"I love what I do and that is my motivation," she said, before setting out from Darwin. "It feels really great to follow your dream and I'm happy to just do my thing."

Dekker celebrated her birthday with cake and donuts. Before departing she stated on on her blog: "It is not everyday that I have this many sweet treats under my nose but I believe I had a good reason to indulge and eat all I could."

-- Images of Laura Dekker and her vessel, Guppy, are courtesy of Laura Dekker

Sailor Zac Sunderland and father to appear on new season of 'The Amazing Race'

The sailing Sunderlands are back in the spotlight as Zac and his father Laurence will appear on the new season of the popular CBS reality show, "The Amazing Race," which premieres Sunday night.

Zac gained fame in 2009, when at 17 he became the youngest person to have sailed around the world alone.

His younger sister Abby made international headlines a year later, when she tried a solo-circumnavigation at 16, but became the focus of an intense rescue effort after her 40-foot boat became disabled in the Indian Ocean.

Laurence and his wife, Marianne, were relentlessly criticized for allowing both children -- but especially Abby -- attempt to sail around the planet by themselves.

 Now Zac, 19, and his dad are featured in a show that pits 11 teams in a race around the world for a $500,000 first prize. Among other competitors are Olympic snowboarders, twin sisters, a former NFL tight end and former "Survivor" winners.

 

The Sunderlands, who live in Thousand Oaks, Calif., went in as heavy underdogs, Laurence said, because the homeschooled family was raised largely without TV.  As a shipwright busy supporting Abby's adventure, Laurence last year turned down an offer to be part of the Emmy-winning series.

"I said no and they asked why and I told them I didn't know what the show was about, because I don't watch television and because I'm a busy person," he said.

Another invite came this year and Zac persuaded his father to accept. Their feeling was that his 13-month adventure, which featured stops in 13 ports, had prepped them for this kind of competition.

"The Amazing Race" fosters antagonism among teammates and Laurence, though he could not divulge too many details because the series hasn't aired yet, said that he and Zac endured many squabbles when they teamed to deliver yachts from port to port as part of his shipwright business.

"We've been put in tight squeezes before and we generally pull in the same direction when it's all coming down on us," Laurence said.

Zac said one of the biggest challenges was sleep deprivation, which he had to deal with often on his sailing adventure. "I think that and all my travel helped me out a lot with being able to acclimate to a different way of life and a different culture," he said, without divulging how his team fared. "And being able to figure out a way from Point A to Point B even with a bunch of craziness going on."

''The Amazing Race" airs on Sundays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times.

As for Abby Sunderland, she's enjoying a different kind of spotlight.  The documentary about her adventure, "Wild Eyes, the Abby Sunderland Story," won the People's Choice Award at the recent Big Bear International Film Festival in Big Bear Lake, Calif.  It also picked up Best New Director honors at the Silent River Film Festival in Irvine, Calif.

Laurence Sunderland, who recently launched WorldWind Productions, directed the documentary.

-- Image showing Zac Sunderland (right) and his father during the filming of "The Amazing Race" is courtesy of CBS and protected by copyright laws