Tag: sailing

According to UK MAIB, during a training passage on the south coast of England a commercially operated sailing yacht experienced a catastrophic rigging failure that led to it being dismasted. There were no injuries and the mast was cut free and released overboard.

A fire broke out onboard a sailboat, off the island of Sifnos in Greece, during the weekend. The boat had two people onboard at the time of the incident. The Hellenic Coast Guard ships went on the scene of the incident to provide assistance, while the passengers got into a private boat, which was on the spot.

Regatta Director presents safety recommendations

West African pirates are copy-catting their Somali counterparts One of the joys of sailing is the freedom to go where you want when you want. While all sensible cruising sailors are now avoiding the western Indian Ocean as too dangerous to sail, latest reports also suggest that West African pirates are copy-catting their Somali counterparts and cruising sailors are best to avoid these areas as well.Despite a massive naval presence in the Gulf of Aden and some successful prosecutions - of five pirates behind the hijacking of a South African yacht in the Netherlands, and of several pirates involved in the shooting death of four American sailors, piracy is one of the world's few booming industries in this global economic downturn.Attacks in Somalia had increased over 2010, showed no sign of slowing down in 2011, and now the copycats in West Africa pose a whole new threat to yachts, and even to international shipping.Somewhere between 15 and 23 attacks were reported in the first half of the year in West Africa, according to the International Maritime Bureau, and are continuing at the same rate in the second half of the year. Most have been centred in the Gulf of Guinea, ...