Spinnaker pole injury on Pretty Fly II, third retirement

• NEWS
• 27 Dec, 2007 03:02:00 PM

Spinnaker pole injury on Pretty Fly II, third retirement

The NSW yacht Pretty Fly II, skippered by Colin Woods, is heading for Eden this afternoon after crew member Derek Brown suffered a broken nose and cheek bone when he was hit in the face by the spinnaker pole when the boat was about 27 nautical miles from the port town.

A second crewman has been injured and a third yacht has this afternoon retired from the 63rd Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

The NSW yacht Pretty Fly II, skippered by Colin Woods, is heading for Eden this afternoon after crew member Derek Brown suffered a suspected broken nose and cheek bone when he was hit in the face by the spinnaker pole when the boat was about 27 nautical miles from the port town.

Pretty Fly II is making for a rendezvous with a police boat in Eden Harbour so Brown can be transferred to Pambula Hospital. Pretty Fly II, a Bruce Farr-designed Beneteau 47, is expected to resume racing after off-loading Brown.

Last night, another spinnaker pole, on Michele Colenso’s breast cancer campaign cruiser Capriccio of Rhu, took its toll. A member of the crew lost the tip of his finger during a spinnaker drop. The boat pulled into Wollongong for him to have the finger treated and x-rayed before he rejoined the crew to resume racing at 8am this morning.

Early this afternoon, the Victorian yacht Cougar II retired after having just entered Bass Strait when she suffered a broken chain plate – the point on the deck where the stay from the top of the mast is attached to each side of the boat. It is critical to the stability of the mast. She is due into Eden later tonight.

Cougar II is Alan Whiteley’s new Transpac 52 from the Sandringham Yacht Club.

She joins Berrimilla, which has arrived safety at the CYCA in Sydney, and Mr Kite (broken rudder), due into Sydney around 8.30pm tonight, on the list of retirements.