Oceanic yacht racing is one of the most dangerous sports in the world.[1] It was particularly dangerous in the early days when oceanic racing was more like early mountain climbing in terms of sense of adventure and achievement. Modern safety and communication equipment has improved safety however like any sport in natural environment risk is always present. In many races, participants have changed from explorer to professional athlete.
Race Name | Date | Name | Place | Boat | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whitbread / Volvo Ocean Race | 1973 | Paul Waterhouse, Dominique Guillet and Bernie Hosking |
Southern Ocean | Tauranga, 33 Export, Great Britain II (respectively) |
Each swept overboard (Hosking twice)[2][3] |
Whitbread / Volvo Ocean Race | 1989 | Tony Phillips | Southern Ocean | Creighton Naturally | Swept overboard and recovered too late |
Volvo Ocean Race | 18 May 2006 | ![]() |
Off Land's End ![]() |
ABN Amro Volvo 70 | Washed overboard and recovered |
Clipper Round the World Yacht Race | 5 Sep 2015 | ![]() |
IchorCoal / Clipper 70 | Head Injury Boom/Mainsheet | |
Clipper Round the World Yacht Race | 1 April 2016 | ![]() |
IchorCoal / Clipper 70 | Swept overboard | |
Clipper Round the World Yacht Race | 18 Nov 2017 | ![]() |
Great Britain / Clipper 70 | Swept overboard | |
Volvo Ocean Race | 26 Mar 2018 | ![]() |
Southern Ocean | Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag Volvo Ocean 65 | Swept overboard |
Race Name | Date | Name | Place | Boat | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BOC Challenge | 1986 | ![]() |
Southern Ocean | Skoiern IV | |
Vendée Globe | 1992 | ![]() |
Atlantic Ocean | Nigel Burgess Yachts | |
Vendée Globe | 1992 | ![]() |
Atlantic Ocean | Coyote | Lost at sea prior to departure |
Vendée Globe | 1997 | ![]() |
Southern Ocean | Groupe LG 2 |
Race Name | Host Club | Date | Name | Place | Boat | Description | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1976 OSTAR | Royal Western Yacht Club | Mike Flanagan (USA) | GALLOPING GAEL | 38 ft Monohull Sailor and Boat Lost at Sea | [8] | |||
1976 OSTAR | Royal Western Yacht Club | Mike McMullen | Three Cheers | |||||
1978 Route du Rhum | 16 November 1978, | Alain Colas | Azores | Manureva | Unknown | |||
1979 Fastnet race | Royal Ocean Racing Club | 15 Sailors | ![]() |
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1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race | Cruising Yacht Club of Australia | 27 December 1998 | Phillip Charles Skeggs Bruce Raymond Guy |
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Business Post Naiad | drowned heart attack | ||
28 December 1998 | John Dean, James Lawler and Michael Bannister |
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Winston Churchill | all drowned | ||||
28 December 1998 | ![]() |
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Sword of Orion | |||||
Doublehanded Farallones Race | 27 March 1999 | ![]() |
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White Lightning, J/29 | ,[9][10] | |||
Transat Jacques Vabre | 21 October 1999 | ![]() |
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ORMA 60 | Boat Capsized Paul was ondeck and lost other crew member was below deck | [11] | ||
Doublehanded Lightship Race | Island Yacht Club of Alameda | 16 March 2008 | ![]() ![]() |
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Daisy, Cheoy Lee Offshore 31 | [12] | ||
Cowes-Cherbourg Race | Royal Ocean Racing Club | June 2011 | ![]() |
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Lion, Reflex 38 | [13] | ||
Chicago-Mackinac Race | Chicago Yacht Club | July 2011 | ![]() ![]() |
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Wingnuts, Kiwi 35 | head injuries and drowning during capsize[14] | ||
Farallones Race | San Francisco Yacht Club | 14 April 2012 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Low Speed Chase, Sydney 38 | [15][16] | ||
Calif. to Ensenada, Mexico yacht race. | 28 April 2012 | ![]()
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Aegean, Hunter 376 | [17][18] | |||
Islands Race | Newport Harbor and San Diego Yacht Club | 9 March 2013 | ![]() |
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Uncontrollable Urge, Columbia 32 Carbon | [19][20] | ||
Chicago-Mackinac Race | Chicago Yacht Club | July 2018 | ![]() |
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Imedi, TP52 | overboard resulting from wave strike | [21] |
Race Name | Host Club | Date | Name | Place | Boat | Description | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Big Boat Series | St. Francis Yacht Club | 18 September 1994 | ![]() |
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Twin Flyer, 38 foot sloop | [22] | |
2007 | ![]() |
J/29 | Boom head injury | ||||
America's Cup Testing | Golden Gate Yacht Club | 9 May 2013 | ![]() |
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Artemis Racing, AC72, Boat 1 | Entrapped after the boat broke apart and capsized. | |
Antigua Superyacht | 8 March 2022 | ![]() |
102 ft S/Y Farfalla | Training Incident with rigging failure causing a head Injury | [23][24] |