Two deaths overshadow this edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. British sailor John Fisher fell overboard in the Southern Ocean and was never recovered. Off Hong Kong, a Chinese fisherman died when his boat collided with Team Vestas.
Could these accidents have been avoided if the race organisers had taken appropriate precautions?
The finish off Hong Kong was moved to a sea area known for its density of fishing boats, some unlit, some without AIS. Why did the race participants have to sail through this fleet, some in the middle of the night, at speeds of over 20 knots?
Why wasn't the finish line a few nautical miles off Hong Kong, outside this conurbation?
The organisers set ice limits for the Southern Ocean leg to protect the teams from collisions with growlers. Why didn't they set a wind limit? It was clear from the start in Auckland that very strong winds would be expected on this leg, with extremely tough conditions. Why wasn't the stage postponed for a few days, why wasn't it interrupted so that it could be continued later in more moderate conditions?
What is the difference between a wind limit and ice limits?
Every skipper, every sailor who takes part in this race, who gets on one of these boats, knows what he is getting into, acts on his own responsibility and is not forced to do anything. Is that really the case? Even every recreational sailor signs up for a regatta at their own risk. If he then doesn't start because of too much wind, for example, that is his decision and only costs him his travelling expenses and free time.
However, in a regatta like the Volvo Ocean Race, which is dominated by sponsor interests and is a professional sport, it is not always easy for both the organisers and the participants to act responsibly. For example, a finish a few nautical miles off Hong Kong, although it would certainly have been advisable from a seamanship point of view, could no longer be followed up close by the guests of a sponsor who had flown in, only on the screen; it would simply be a much less spectacular spectacle.
A skipper who, for this very reason, decides not to sail through this sea area to the finish but to abandon the leg prematurely so as not to jeopardise his team and other sailors, thereby accepting a deterioration of his team and his sponsor in the overall classification, would probably not be seen on board for the following leg.
Postponing or interrupting a leg like the one from Auckland around Cape Horn to Itajai in order to wait for better weather would completely disrupt the schedule, as all the activities are already planned in the Race Village at the port of arrival, including dubious in-port races with guests on board and live coverage. And even in this case, a skipper who would pull out of his own accord so as not to jeopardise his crew would hardly be acceptable, especially if everyone else reaches the finish line largely unscathed, at least as far as life and limb are concerned.
Apart from the skipper in charge - does the normal crew member at the end of the chain of command even have the opportunity to act independently?
What should a foreshipman do if the conditions seem too harsh, irresponsibly harsh? Mutiny? Cast off in the next harbour, sacrifice his financial reward for the rest of the race? After all, this is a professional sport and everyone involved, whether skipper, crew member or race director, earns their living from it.
And wouldn't this race lose some of its appeal because of such measures?
It also thrives on the sailors' battle against the elements, against the clock, against their opponents. If almost all possible sources of danger were eliminated, wouldn't it just be a coffee run? Uninteresting for sponsors, in the end there would be nothing for anyone to earn.
Or is the whole issue just artificially inflated in the end?
Every death is one too many, of course! Since its premiere in 1973/74, six people have lost their lives in the Volvo Ocean Race, with 2100 sailors taking part. The rate is negligible compared to other sports or events, such as the Dakar Rally, Formula 1, mountaineering or paragliding. The journey to the harbour by car was probably more dangerous for the participants than the sailing afterwards.
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Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
