Volvo Ocean: the hardest ocean to cross

The sailboats of the Volvo Ocean race are heading out across the Atlantic in what threatens to be one of the most hazardous legs of the nine-month round-the-world event. 2500 nautical miles, from Boston New England to Galway Ireland, during which the seven crews will be facing dramatic conditons. everybody is well conscious of the dramatic events of last edition in 2006, in which Dutch Bot ABN AMRO 2 lost a man at and Spain's Movistar sank in the Atlantic: "Crossing the Atlantic has always been very difficult, probably one of the hardest oceans to cross," said Ericsson 4 crewman Tony Mutter. "The weather systems are pretty violent and there can be a lot of debris in the water, and more wildlife here than in any other ocean". And Volvo Ocean Race, formerly Withbread Cup, startin from the Season 1973/74 has paid a high number of tributes in lives:

1973/74 Paul Waterhouse of Tauranga: the ship broached violently. The spinnaker boom broke at the mast end causing it to thrash around on the clew of the sail. He rushed forward to get the sails under control and retrieve what was left of the boom, but as he went forward the boat changed direction once more and the sail suddenly took off. The sheets went taut under Waterhouse and threw him high in the air, dumping him back on deck then overboard in a second surge of power.

Bernie Hocking of GBII: disappears overboard, with winds blowing Force 5-6, the crew were not able to recover him despite a search that lasted more than two hours, during which time, they neither saw him nor the dan buoy that was thrown to him after he lost his footing while tidying up in the pulpit. He was gone forever.In his log, Blyth wrote, “Other yachts would have taken this harder or more emotionally. The reason its not affecting us so much is that once again the training of the Paras comes out. You’re steeled towards death. All of us in the yacht have seen active service so have seen death before. This is more personal, but we keep our thoughts to ourselves. He will rarely be mentioned now, more out of respect than anything else. Bernie was one of us. He wouldn’t want it any other way.”

1989/90: Bart van den Dwey and Tony Phillips: a sudden and violent broach thrust Bart van den Dwey and Tony Phillips overboard. It was around 3:00, the seas were big and confused, and although both men were wearing life-jackets and equipped with flares and personal radio beacon, the business of recovery took more than 45 minutes which put their lives in the balance. Skipper John Chittenden recorded each development in detail: “The first man, Bart van den Dwey, was recovered and successfully resuscitated. Tony Phillips was recovered and resuscitation continued for three hours without success. Bart’s lifejacket was inflated. Tony Phillips’ was not. He hit a stanchion as he went overboard and it is thought unlikely that he was conscious once in the water. Two crew-members, Barry Mercer and Julian Morris, went into the sea three times to assist with their recovery. Both actions were in my opinion heroic – Julian’s in particular. A few days later, by radio agreement with relatives ashore, Tony Phillips was buried at sea.”

2006/2007 Hans Horrevoets. Falls from ABN Amro 2 and failed to regain consciousness.