What a dismasting at the Middle Sea Race in 65 knots teaches us

The photo you see above is what remains of the 30-meter carbon mast of the Scuderia 65 Hagar V, which literally exploded while the boat of Bolzano-based owner Gregor Stimpfl was participating in the Rolex Middle Sea Race off Sicily. Stimpfl and his crew (13 on board, all experienced sailors), faced a sudden and unforeseen storm (a so-called “downburst”) with gusts of more than 60 knots. One of these was fatal, as Stimpfl told us. This is his account of the incident and how they best handled the emergency.

Middle Sea Race: “How we dismasted in 65 knots of wind.”

“You hear it in the stories, but you don’t think it can happen to you specifically until it happens to you. With the sea at 26 degrees in late October and a cold front coming in, anything can happen. Now, we know,” began Gregor, 60 years old, seven Middle Sea Races, a Fastnet, lots of ocean and Mediterranean racing behind him. “After departing at 11 a.m. from Malta, we were sailing at Pozzallo, about 30 miles southeast of Capo Passero. It was 5:30 p.m. when, in a very few minutes, we went from a 10-15 knot wind to 65 knots. Suddenly, no one was expecting it.

We had the gennaker on shore and could not get the mainsail down in time: So we kept sailing on the slack. We couldn’t afford to heave to put into the wind. In those conditions, with a strake the boat in addition to lying down is likely to surge. With huge risks for the crew, even though they are tied with jack-line.”

“A deafening bang and the tree comes down.”

“At one point I heard a deafening bang: probably an even stronger gust, the mast broke in compression about three meters above the trough, I was just in time to see the profile break into three pieces and fall into the water, to the left of the hull. Near the mast base was our experienced halyardist, who, probably hit by some halyard or sheet, broke his forearm and injured his ankle.” The situation is a difficult one, a very difficult one. But Gregor Stimpfl and the guys on Hagar V are used to long sailing, they have many miles on their backs and many safety courses for the high seas, and the equipment on board is taken care of to perfection:“We got the injured man to the cockpit immediately, I went below deck and launched the mayday and flares. Even in an adrenaline-fueled environment, we were always clear-headed and followed procedures.” Like the good sailors they are.

Unnecessary shears, essential flex

Crucial, Stimpfl continues,“was having a flex on board to replace the traditional shears with which we cut rigging, lines and current rigging, after disconnecting all electrical cables at the mast base to safeguard the boat’s electrical system and batteries. With these loads, with carbon and dyneema, the shear is not enough, and luckily we had the flex.” Meanwhile, the Mayday is heard over the radio by the men aboard the Vismara 62 Yoru of Milanese Luigi Sala, who was racing near Hagar V: “I will never thank them enough for assisting us, for helping us by being the radio link with the rescue on Pozzallo. Within an hour, an hour and a half at the most, the maxi dinghy of the Harbor Master’s Office arrived and loaded the injured crew member on board to take him ashore immediately and provide him with the necessary medical aid. We, after verifying that the engine was working, repaired to the Marina di Ragusa.”

Yoru’s pivotal role

We also heard from the aforementioned Luigi Sala, owner of Yoru: “We were also close to Hagar V and never saw such a phenomenon. We faced two very strong gusts, after the first one we managed to pull down the gennaker, the second one reached 63 knots. After the ‘shooting’, we waited for the wind to diminish a little and, with some order I must say, given the situation, we lowered the mainsail.

We heard Hagar V’s Mayday and stayed close to them. After that, we decided that we would not continue the race: we had some damage on board as well (like some broken stanchions, ed.) and we didn’t feel like doing another 550 miles without 100% knowledge of the boat’s health. Fortunately, everything went well.”

Middle Sea Race. Prevention is better than cure

Back to Stimpfl: “Besides the importance of having a flex on board for emergencies of this kind, the sea taught us another lesson. With the water so warm (and the effects of climate change, we add, ed.), anything can happen. And even if you’re racing, even if you’re competitive, as we are, at the first whiff of a “lump” you have to drop the sails. The safety of the crew comes first….”

Eugene Ruocco

• More stories from the storm’s Middle Sea Race here