Brett Lewis managed to hole and sink Murphy & Nye and Ian Atkins found the rock off the Squadron on boats.com before either boat had taken the Cowes Week gun.
Prize for unluckiest class of the morning here at Skandia Cowes Week goes to the 1720 fleet. Brett Lewis managed to hole and sinkMurphy & Nyeand Ian Atkins found the rock off the Squadron onboats.combefore either boat had found taken the gun.
Lewis and his team aboard the 1720 sportsboatMurphy & Nyewere milling around the start line off the Royal Yacht Squadron when they were involved in a port/starboard collision with an Etchells. The shocked and rather damp Lewis commented: “It was a very stupid start line error with us on port and the Etchells on starboard. Neither of us was keeping a look out.
“We were on the Squadron line looking for the layline,” Lewis continued, “working out our tactics for the start and our strategy for the race. The Etchells007appeared out of nowhere and we just connected. Unfortunately it left a two-foot gash in the starboard bow of our boat.
“The guys from theVolvo for Liferib came and towed us in which we’re very grateful for. If they hadn’t got us in swiftly we’d have sank out there. We actually sank just by the Cowes Yacht Haven hoist.”
Lewis is currently unsure about how much damage007received but stressed once his boat’s been hoisted out he intends to track down the Etchells sailors to see if all is okay.
Never one to give up, Lewis concluded: “I do however, expect to be back out racing tomorrow once we get the hole inMurphy & Nyefixed.”
Atkins is less certain of when he can get afloat again after surveying the damage onboats.com. He and his team were just off the start line preparing for the start when “we got a little bit too close to the rock off the Squadron and crashed into it.”
boats.comstarted the race; the first beat was fine and the subsequent run, but when they rounded the next mark the forestay gave way. The crew temporarily fixed it with two halyards and sailed in. It was only as the boat came clear of the water in the Cowes Yacht Haven hoist that serious keel damage was discovered, resulting in a requirement to return to the Hamble for what is likely to be an extensive repair.