solo sailer Abby Sunderland

Just caught sight of this news flash.

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog... is launched for teen sailor abby sunderland/

Pray for her!!!

 

Here's a bit more: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/abby-sunderland-possibly-lost-sea/story?id=10877108

Hope she'll make it.....

 

Pray, yes... But what I feel is rage, when I think of this story.

Let's hope for the best outcome.

 

Planning a trip thru the southern ocean this time of year is asking for trouble-I hope she gets help in time....

 

Good coverage here: http://www.sailinganarchy.com/index_page1.php

 

Abby Sunderland

Abby Sunderland is awaiting rescue in the Southern ocean after having a lot of trouble controlling her open 40 racing yacht. After numerous problems and knockdowns it looks like she's either had enough or has been dismasted. She's triggered her manual epirbs.

I posted on the seaworthiness thread too. It look s like a really good example of a very poor choice of boat for a schoolgirl to be skippering in the Southern ocean.

I hope she gets a speedy rescue.

 

Also of a very deprecable decision to allow a 16 yrs old girl to put her life at risk for a bit of fame (and for a bunch of money for some adults around her).

 

Another thread here: http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/op...-about-solo-sailer-abby-sunderland-33161.html

(threads are now merged)

 

wont say too much til facts come out, but sailing an open 40 is not easy
especially if the pilot wont hold course, then the human gets very tired keeping the boat tracking, broaches(under pilot can and do happen often) exhausting and dangerous, comparing hers with the local lass who just finished, is like comparing an old saloon car with a race car on a slippery track
Yes hope she stays well safe and is found

 

From Scuttlebutt/tinyurl:

ABBY SUNDERLAND BELIEVED TO BE ALIVE
(June 10, 2010) - The engineer behind Abby Sunderland's solo trip around the
world says he believes the 16-year-old Thousand Oaks sailor is "alive" and
"most likely floating" in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Speaking to a
throng of reporters outside the family's home, Jeff Casher said he spoke to
her at 3:45 a.m. Thursday, then lost contact after she went to check on some
equipment on her boat. About an hour later, she apparently activated her
emergency beacons - devices that sent automatic alerts to the Coast Guard
and her family.

Casher said the family is looking at three possible scenarios. Either the
boat's mast came down, giving her no ability to sail the vessel; the keel
hit something and possibly flipped the boat upside down; or she may have
broken an arm or leg while being whipsawed about in violent waters. "She set
this off not because she lost communication, but because something else was
wrong," Casher said. They had set very clear guidelines for when to activate
emergency beacons and losing communication alone was not enough, he said.

The family is hopeful that a Qantas Airbus, commissioned by the Australian
government, will be able to spot her at daylight - about 10 or 11 p.m.
Pacific time. Water temperatures are about 54 or 55 degrees, Cash said,
describing it as cold, but survivable. Sunderland had equipment on board to
survive a crisis, including a dry suit and life boat. -- Full story:
http://tinyurl.com/345vf28

 

I thought the Australian Girl got off lightly nearly being killed in the first night. I was very concerned when they set out again. But she had a more suitable boat and probably slightly more robust character too. When she made it around I thought the one good it might produce would be to reduce the fear many people have about ocean passages and gales. If a schoolkid in a little pink S&S 36 can do it why can't you.

Sadly that's now been cancelled out by a poor choice of boat. I can't beleive she was publically saying that becasue it is a class 0 racing yacht that it's built to look after her in the southern ocean !!!

Some incrediable niavety from whoever fed her that info. In reality the boats been her master all the way and they should have realised that and stopped in cape town when the record was disallowed anyway.

Now everone can wake up and stop backing kids in dangerous pursuits for their logo emblazened on the kids hull.

 

Yes hope for the best.

And yes, rage.............

 

I heard about this earlier & began viewing her blog & info on the design when I arrived home. I wouldn't try to sail the world on that boat, though it had a previous go-around. What can one say but that I/we hope it works out for her. Not good.
Mike

 

Who pays for the search (a 747 with the range to do a 4000km return trip plus search pattern, rescue vessels diverting to the search area and others with long range capability) ... Life for a cruising yachtie will not be viewed sympathetically by bureaucracies when they look at such huge search and rescue costs...

 

Bad news - I remember we had these discussions before and everybody had a rant, I was pretty outspoken about the issue myself.

Fact is they had **** with the boat from day one
everybody in a helluva hurry for what?

I saw many of the videos and a simple little thing like a harness is SELDOM VISIBLE the whole attitude was wrong from day one

my prayers for this little girl
and the team MUST BE BROUGHT TO BOOK