Instant skylight

• NEWS
• 28 Dec, 2010 10:06:00 AM

Instant skylight

When the Victorian Peterson 44 lost its mast off the southern NSW coast yesterday afternoon, the force was so great it ripped the two chainplates from the starboard side of the deck, the fittings through which the side stays, or shrouds, are secured.

Bacardi crewman Matthew Feore was lying on his bunk on the starboard (right-hand) side of the Victorian boat when skipper Martin Power made the call for reduced sail. It was blowing 35 knots; they were in heavy seas, with waves up to six metres.

The 26 time Rolex Sydney Hobart veteran competitor Bacardi was carrying a number 3 headsail and had two reefs in the mainsail. Power ordered even less sail. He called for the number 3 headsail to be replaced by the smaller number 4.

“One moment Matthews’s lying there preparing to come up to make the change, the next moment the roof opens up and he’s looking at the sky and water coming in,” Power said.

When the Victorian Peterson 44 lost its mast off the southern NSW coast yesterday afternoon, the force was so great it ripped the two chainplates from the starboard side of the deck, the fittings through which the side stays, or shrouds, are secured. When the boat is on starboard tack, with the wind coming over the right-hand side, the shrouds on that side are under enormous pressure.

“There was an explosion when the deck disintegrated,” Power said. “I saw the mast go. That was quiet, but when the chainplates peeled the deck away, there was a tremendous noise. Down below, Matthew is suddenly looking at the sky, an instant skylight.

“The mast, still attached by the forestay and the headsail, was gyrating into the boat, then when it went over the side the cross-trees on the mast began banging against the hull,” Power said.

In 95 Bass Strait crossings he had never seen anything like this. In 26 previous Hobart races, Bacardi had never failed to finish.

Bacardi is built like a tank. It has rod rigging, attached by pins. All of the running rigging is of Spectra, almost impossible to cut. Knives and hacksaws are useless. Clearing away the debris is a job for boltcutters.

Feore and the rest of the crew, uninjured but understandably soaked and shocked by the turn of events, took more than an hour to cut away the mast, rigging and sails and commit them to the deep. They even lost their winches. The deck was so badly damaged they had to secure parts of it using a block and tackle.

A close competitor, Peter Mosely’s Local Hero, lived up to her name and stayed on station nearby, ready to give assistance.

Eventually, Power was able to point what remained of the yacht to Ulladulla.

“We speared down waves at 13 knots, under motor, faster than we had sailed during the race,” Power said. They made Ulladulla by 10.45pm. This morning Power was waiting to speak to his insurance man.

By Bruce Montgomery, Rolex Sydney Hobart media team