During the Clipper Round the World Race, IchorCoal crew member Sarah Young, 40, was washed off the boat by a wave. Sarah was tidying up the cockpit after reefing the mainsail in 35-40 knots of wind when a wave toppled her onto the lifeline. The next wave dragged her under the tether and washed her out to sea. The crew immediately took action to rescue Sarah Young, but the search was hampered by weather conditions and poor visibility.
An hour and seventeen minutes after the tragedy, Sarah Young's body was recovered via AIS signal and brought aboard. The crew contacted doctors from Praxes Medical Group, a partnership with Clipper round the World, and attempted to resuscitate her, but Sarah never regained consciousness.
The tragedy happened on day 12 of the ninth race of the 14th stage of Clipper Round the World, when the boat IchorCoal was approaching the international time-of-day demarcation line, sailing across the Pacific Ocean from Qingdao, China, to Seattle, USA.
Sarah Young owned an image lab providing services to high net worth individuals. She celebrated her 40th birthday before the start of the regatta in London. Participating in the Clipper Round the World has been a long-time dream of Sarah's. Prior to circumnavigating the globe, Sarah had participated in many risky expeditions. She lived in Sabah state in Borneo for a year as a volunteer for the charity Raleigh International, climbed in Nepal and did an 18-day trek to the Skeleton Coast in Namibia. Sarah Young was also a divemaster.
«On behalf of everyone at Clipper Ventures, I am deeply saddened by the loss of Sarah. She was an integral member of the Clipper Race family and knew our boats well, having come all the way from London with us. The safety of our crews was and remains our top priority and we must immediately investigate the incident in full cooperation with the authorities»," said Clipper Ventures founder Sir Robert Knox-Johnson. He added that Sarah was not a fan of breaking the rules, and the reason she ended up detached from the boat will apparently forever remain a mystery.
Kent paramedic Andrew Ashman, 49, died on board the vessel during the first leg of the race. Ashman was reefing the mainsail, reducing sail area, in strong breeze at 21-27 knots. From the impact of the mainsail and possibly the boom, he lost consciousness. He was not saved despite of the immediate medical attention he received.
«Legendary yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston organized the first Clipper Round the World almost 20 years ago, determined to create a circumnavigation of the globe». For a round sum, the regatta is often attended by people who are far from yachting. Nevertheless, to get on board the new recruits undergo a rigorous screening for psychological stability and compatibility with the crew and are trained in the field of yachting. This season has become a jubilee one for the regatta as the clipper sailed around the world for the 10th time. Not once in the history of the race has there been a loss of life. A total of 3,300 people have passed through the Knox-Johnston regatta over the years.
