The resulting damage
MARITIME NEW ZEALAND PASSES THE BUCK
BY KEITH INGRAM T
he little C-class Gypsy, designed by Arch Logan and built by Bill Couldrey in 1939, was off Devonport and had just started racing in the classic division of the Auckland Anniversary Regatta on January 31.
The 18m Antaeus, skippered by Charles St Clair Brown, was making passage under motive power at a speed reported by witnesses to be around eight knots. She was returning to Westhaven through an area clearly identified as a racecourse. The classic yachts were making way in light conditions The little Logan-designed 32ft (9.75m) Gypsy wasn't so lucky. She was on starboard out sailing with the Origin when Mark Shetland
on the Origin saw Antaeus motoring down on the Gypsy. Shetland did his best to alert the crew on Antaeus, calling and waving, but had to watch as the Antaeus failed to avoid the smaller yacht approaching from starboard and T-boned her. The Gypsy was nearly cut in half and sank within a minute, almost taking the crew, Jill Heatherington, with her. Jill's life was saved by the Gypsy's skipper, John Pryor, who got the unconscious woman into a life-ring thrown by St Clair Brown. She suffered serious injuries and was still in hospital on February 10.
Maritime New Zealand has received incident reports from St Clair Brown and the Auckland harbourmaster, Andrew Hayton. Although the incident was widely reported in the media, Maritime NZ said the reports they had received indicated that no serious harm had occurred and that they would not investigate, passing the responsibility for investigating this incident to the Auckland harbourmaster. In 2005, Professional Skipper magazine noted another incident when the Dr Hook turned into the path from starboard of the Waiheke ferry QuickCat, resulting in the later death of a 74-year- old woman. The QuickCat skipper was suspended from his job and fined. A jury found the skipper of the Dr Hook not guilty. A QuickCat skipper was involved in an incident again in 2010 when the recreational launch Sakura, travelling at night, failed to display appropriate navigational lighting, failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to yield and was run over by the QuickCat. Granted it was a dark and dirty night.
PH 46 Professional Skipper March/April 2012 PHOTO: AARAARON ORON FOX RO FOX OX Her crew had not observed the launch approaching, due to the
PHO O:: A RO: A: ARONAARO OTOAARO
OT O:A RO FOX
