MOB på Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag

22 Comments

1. Peter Gustafsson
   Mar 27, 2018 @ 07:19

   03:07

   UPDATE: Search and Rescue operation continues for Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag sailor

   The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) is continuing to lead efforts to recover Volvo Ocean Race sailor John Fisher (UK), who was reported overboard off Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag early on Monday afternoon UTC.

   The Scallywag team, assisted by the MRCC, conducted an exhaustive search and rescue operation in an effort to recover Fisher, who was on watch and wearing appropriate survival gear when he went overboard.

   The remaining crew are reported safe.

   The wind in the area at the time was a strong 35-knot westerly, with accompanying sea state. Water temperature was 9-degrees Celsius. There is still daylight, but weather conditions are forecast to deteriorate in the coming hours, and darkness will come at approximately 01:20 UTC.

   The MRCC has already requested a ship, nearly 400 nautical miles away, divert to the scene.

   The MRCC continues in attempts to contact other ships that may be able to assist.

   The weather in the area is forecast to deteriorate significantly in the coming hours. Given the severity of the forecast and with nightfall just over an hour away, we acknowledge the chances of a successful recovery are diminishing.

   SHK/Scallywag has thus made the difficult decision to turn downwind and head towards the South American coast, the nearest safe landfall, approximately 1,200 nautical miles away.

   We will have more information as it becomes available.

   Reply

2. Peter Gustafsson
   Mar 27, 2018 @ 07:25

   Enligt TT 07:09

   Hoppet falnar för seglare i Ocean Race

   SEGLING Segelbåten SHK/Scallywag har tvingats att avbryta sökandet efter den brittiske seglaren John Fisher, som föll över bord på måndagen 225 mil väster om Kap Horn vid Sydamerikas södra spets.

   Fisher bar överlevnadsdräkt när han föll över bord i vindar på 18 sekundmeter ned i det niogradiga vattnet under en etapp i Volvo Ocean Race.

   Övriga lagmedlemmar sökte efter britten i närmare tolv timmar innan de tvingades avbryta till följd av försämrade väderförhållanden och skymning.

   “Vi inser att chanserna för en lyckad upphämtning minskar” säger tävlingsarrangörerna i ett uttalande.

   Ett fartyg har styrts om för att fortsätta räddningsarbetet, och chilenska sjöräddningsmyndigheter försöker att hitta andra fartyg i närheten som kan hjälpa till i räddningsarbetet. De andra sex segelbåtarna i tävlingen var för långt från olycksplatsen för att kunna hjälpa till.

   Olyckan skedde under tävlingens tuffaste etapp, mellan Auckland i Nya Zeeland och på väg mot brasilianska Itajaí. Tidigare i år omkom en fiskare utanför Hongkong när den amerikansk-danska båten Vestas krockade med en fiskebåt.

   Reply

3. Micke Holmström
   Mar 27, 2018 @ 08:15

   Fruktansvärt att läsa. Någon som är mer insatt i vilken spårningsutrustning de bär på sig när de är fullt klädda i hårt väder? kan de inte lokalisera honom med GPS-signaler från båten även om det tar tid att vända skutan?

   Reply

   • Peter Gustafsson
     Mar 27, 2018 @ 08:19

     Min uppfattning är att alla har en MOB1 AIS-tracker (samma som vi kört på Blur). Och också den MOB1 PLB som jag kör när jag är solo. Men det bygger ju på att man har den på sig…

     http://oceansignal.com/news/ocean-signal-joins-forces-spinlock-enhance-safety-2017-18-volvo-ocean-race-crew/

     

     Reply

     • Joakim
       Mar 29, 2018 @ 11:01

       John hade livvästen på sig. Varför kunde dom inte hitta honom med hjälp av AIS MOB1? Dom kunde segla till MOB platsen och sökte för flera timmar. Hade väl aldrig AIS signal?

       https://www.spinlock.co.uk/en/categories/lifejackets/product_groups/volvo-ocean-race-deckvest

       “Integrated automatically activated AIS MOB1 beacon”

       Reply

       • fabian tillig
         Mar 29, 2018 @ 11:11

         I nån video strax efter NZ nämner libby att ais.en är paj. Kansje gick den inte att fixa… funkar inte båtens ais mottagare är väl mob1 meningslös?

         Reply

4. Peter Mannerstråle
   Mar 27, 2018 @ 08:44

   Bilden visar att MOB1 inte kan automatutlösa vad jag kan se.
   Om personen slås medvetslös när hen går överbord så kommer inget av hjälpmedlen utlösas automatiskt.

   Reply

   • Fabian Lyman
     Mar 27, 2018 @ 08:54

     MOB1 automatutlöser om den är korrekt monterad i västen. De har dessutom en PLB som Peter konstaterade.

     Extrema förhållanden där nere så inte helt säkert att en utlöst MOB1 klarar av att få signal och sända. Antennen måste upp över vattenytan några sekunder iaf och den är max ca 15 cm så i tillräckligt jobbig sjögång är det inte givet att man får en stabil signal.

     Reply

     • Joakim
       Mar 29, 2018 @ 11:04

       Stabil signal behövs ej. MOB1 skickar position 8 gånger i minut. Det räcker med att få en för att komma mycket nära.

       Reply

5. Patrik Måneskiöld
   Mar 27, 2018 @ 09:56

   Jag undrar hur lång tid det tar för en MOB-GPS att hitta position? Den kallstartar rimligtvis vid aktivering och om dess almanac-data då är äldre än 180 dagar behöver den lyssna på satelliterna ostört i upp till 15 min innan den kan få fram en position. Klarar den det med ständiga översköljningar? Kanske inte relevant i det här fallet men min MOB1 har inte varit igång sedan 2015..

   Reply

   • Anders
     Mar 27, 2018 @ 10:03

     Ny rutin innan race: att starta MOB-GPS så den har en färsk fix.

     Vi får väl i sinom tid även veta hur mycket utrustning Fisher hade på sig.

     Reply

   • Patrik Måneskiöld
     Mar 27, 2018 @ 13:11

     Jag kollade min MOB1. Den hittade position inom en halvminut inomhus. Jag läste på lite och det verkar som almanac inte krävs då moderna GPS:er kan söka efter alla satelliter parallellt. I praktiken som en varmstart.

     Reply

     • Anders
       Mar 28, 2018 @ 10:27

       Dåså, då kan vi stryka den rutinen.

       Reply

       • Peter Gustafsson
         Mar 28, 2018 @ 10:47

         Eller så är den bra i alla fall. Säkerhet är ju aldrig “set and forget” utan man behöver gå igenom både prylar och rutiner hela tiden.

         Framförallt i en värld döär mycjket av fokus ligger på att kryssa för saker på en kravlista och klara en säkjerhetskontroll – där man i stället borde klura på risk i olika scenarios och möjliga åtgärder.

         Reply

     • Göran/Xusidus/X-382
       Mar 28, 2018 @ 15:59

       Det är viktigt att veta att MOB1 visar en helt vanlig AIS-båtsymbol på äldre plottrar.
       Citat från Odelco som marknadsför MOB1;
       Alla MOB1 har ett särskilt MMSI-nummer som är reserverat för manöverbordsituationer, och då visar positionen som en ring med ett kryss i. På äldre plottrar som inte har stöd för MOB-AIS, kan positionen visas som en båtsymbol. Du får kontrollera med tillverkaren vad som gäller för din plotter.

       Symbolen spelar inte så stor roll när det gäller att bli upphämtad av den egna båten men som ensamseglare som trillar i så kommer båtar i närheten med äldre plotters ta mig för en ankarliggare eller annan stillaliggande båt. Därför är PLB att föredra.

       Reply

6. Peter Gustafsson
   Mar 27, 2018 @ 12:00

   An update on Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag sailor John Fisher

   An update on Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag crew member John Fisher, from Richard Brisius, the President of the Volvo Ocean Race:

   This morning I am extremely sad to inform you that one of our sailors, John Fisher, from Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag, is now presumed to have been lost at sea.

   This is heart-breaking for all of us. As sailors and race organisers losing a crew member at sea is a tragedy we don’t ever want to contemplate. We are devastated and our thoughts are with John’s family, friends and teammates.

   Yesterday, just after 1300 UTC, Race Control for the Volvo Ocean Race were informed of a man overboard situation by Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag.

   We immediately coordinated with the team as well as the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, who have located a ship and diverted it towards the scene. But at current speeds it remains over a day away.

   With the rest of the Volvo Ocean Race fleet approximately 200 miles downwind, sending them back upwind to assist, against gale to storm force winds, was not a viable option.

   The Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag team conducted an exhaustive search for several hours in extremely challenging weather conditions, but they were unable to recover their teammate.

   Given the cold water temperature and the extreme sea state, along with the time that has now passed since he went overboard, we must now presume that John has been lost at sea.

   All of us here at the Volvo Ocean Race organisation send our heartfelt condolences out to John’s family, his friends and his teammates and we will do everything in our power to support them in this very difficult time.

   Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag has now resumed heading in a north-easterly direction.

   In fact, the team is currently in a challenging position – the weather is deteriorating and is forecast to be quite severe over the course of today.

   The crew is, of course, emotionally and physically drained after what they have just experienced.

   Our sole focus now is to provide all the support and assistance that we can to the team.

   We are sure that there will be many questions about how one of our sailors was lost overboard yesterday.

   We can address those after the team has been fully debriefed.

   Today, our thoughts and prayers go out to John’s family and the entire Scallywag team.

   Reply

7. Anders
   Mar 28, 2018 @ 11:27

   The designers knew that it’s dangerous going out onto an exposed deck in rough conditions. So did the VOR management, but instead of taking some measures to protect the sailors they celebrated their stupidity with a silly slogan, Life at the Extreme.

   – Brian Hancock i en krönika på Sailing Anarchy

   Reply

8. Peter Gustafsson
   Mar 28, 2018 @ 17:58

   The following story has been issued on behalf
   of Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag

   On Monday 26 March, Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag lost John Fisher overboard in the Southern Ocean, approximately 1,400 nautical miles west of Cape Horn.

   Despite conducting an exhaustive search in gale force conditions, he has not been recovered.

   “This is the worst situation you can imagine happening to your team,” said SHK/Scallywag Team Manager Tim Newton, who has spoken with skipper David Witt and navigator Libby Greenhalgh about what happened on Monday.

   “We are absolutely heart-broken for John’s family and friends. I know for David, he has lost his best friend. It’s devastating.”

   Newton says he asked the crew to put together a timeline of events to ensure accurate reporting on the incident and it follows here:

   • On Monday, 26 March, SHK/Scallywag was racing in Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Auckland, New Zealand to Itajai, Brazil, approximately 1,400 nautical miles west of Cape Horn
   • Weather conditions were 35-45 knots with 4 to 5 metre seas with showers reducing visibility. It was 15 minutes before sunrise
   • The team was sailing with a single reef in the mainsail and the J2 jib. The Fractional 0 (FR0) sail was hoisted but furled
   • At roughly 1300 UTC SHK/Scallywag surfed down a large wave leading to an accidental crash gybe
   • John Fisher was on deck, in the cockpit. At the time, he was moving forward to tidy up the FR0 sheet and had therefore unclipped his tether
   • As the mainsail swung across the boat in the gybe, the mainsheet system caught John and knocked him off the boat. The crew on board believe John was unconscious from the blow before he hit the water
   • He was wearing a survival suit with a wetsuit hood and gloves and a lifejacket
   • The JON buoy and the horseshoe buoy were thrown off the back of the boat to mark the position
   • It took some time to get the boat under control and motor sail back to a position near where the man overboard occurred
   • At 1342 (UTC), the team informed Race Control, by email, that there was a man overboard and they were returning to the MOB position to start a search pattern
   • With input from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre and Race Control in Alicante, a search and rescue operation was carried out for several hours but there was no sign of John, the horseshoe buoy, or the JON buoy
   • With weather conditions deteriorating, a difficult decision was taken to abandon the search and preserve the safety of the remaining crew

   Newton says the team is distraught but has a clear focus on getting the crew and boat back to shore.

   “This situation isn’t over yet for our team,” Newton said. “The conditions are extremely challenging, with strong winds and a forecast for a building sea state over the next couple of days. Our sole focus, with the assistance of Race Control in Alicante is to get the team into port safely.

   “Once we have achieved that, we have time to de-brief more fully and ensure that any lessons that can be learned from what happened to John are incorporated by the rest of the fleet going forward.

   “That would be a tremendous legacy for John, who spent so much of his time passing the learnings from his lifetime of experience at sea onto the younger sailors on our team.”

   Reply

9. Peter Gustafsson
   Mar 29, 2018 @ 07:46

   Jag tycker att Steve Hayles har en bra point när han skriver på Sailing Anarchy:

   …

   I strongly disagree that the boats themselves, the designers of those boats, or those that organize the race have avoided responsibility or done anything that puts sailors lives at risk. Aspects can be improved of course, but the implication that the boats are too dangerous is unfounded and the idea that anyone is complicit in John’s death is offensive to a great many of us that trust in those same boats, people and procedures when we put to sea.

   None of us are stupid and if the situation was as described we would be negligent in our duties to our families and that is simply not the case.

   The sport itself is inherently dangerous, we all acknowledge that, but we do so knowing that the equipment, procedures and, most importantly, our team mates mitigate that risk to an acceptable level and as competitors we all make a conscious decision to leave the dock. I can never quite explain why I do what I do and indeed the last 24 hours have made me think even more about those motives, but I do know that if the risk was somehow completely removed then the attraction would be gone.

   There will be some that don’t agree, and they are entitled to their opinions; there will be some that disagree with my view on the safety of these boats and I respect them too, but please let’s not express polarizing views on potential causes in the wake of a man’s death without being in full possession of the facts. I am not trying to push the opposite view or promote debate, and don’t particularly concern myself with the future of the but am keen that we draw proper conclusions based on evidence.

   There have been fatalities at sea over the course of this race, and each one is tragic and devastating in equal measure. If you look the VOR / Whitbread race four competitors lost their lives in the earlier races with three in the first race 1973 and one in 1989.

   Four more events and fifteen years passed until Hans Horrevoets was sadly lost approaching the UK in 2006 and now we face another tragedy twelve years on. I am not happy with that safety record and one life lost is one too many but until the right people can make the right decisions based on the facts it’s simply pointless to try and suppose what would have saved his life. The implication that it’s getting more dangerous is not supported in evidence.

   The deeper question is ‘why’ we choose to compete rather than how. We could have safer boats, safer routes and many other protections but at some point, it simply wouldn’t be worth doing. I don’t for a moment underestimate the significance of this tragedy and it’s truthfully shaken me to my core but it’s important to recognize that no-one is being forced to go out there and we all do it with a deep and well understood acceptance of the risk.

   …

   Reply

10. Anders
    Jun 11, 2018 @ 13:25

    Någon som vet vad Scallywag pysslade med inatt? Snurrade i flera timmar och tappade stort på övriga.

    Reply

    • Peter Gustafsson
      Jun 11, 2018 @ 14:05

      0100UT Position Report: DFRT lead the charge into building Northerly gradient whilst SHKS are now anchored & feeling the full effects of the tide in the Bristol Channel. #watchlog pic.twitter.com/T3xwkoXCam

      — Race Experts (@RaceExperts) June 11, 2018

      Reply

      • anders
        Jun 11, 2018 @ 14:16

        Tack!

        Då behöver jag inte vara orolig för att de letade efter någon.
        Surt att tappa 100 nm på det sättet.

        Reply

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