Round The World Yacht Race Team Runs Aground Near Cape Town

The crew of Clipper Round the World Yacht Race team, Greenings (CV24), have been safely evacuated after running aground on the western side of Cape Peninsula, which sits roughly halfway between Cape Town and Cape Point during Leg 3 of the eight-leg global sailing race.

The Clipper 70 yacht, which has already circumnavigated the world twice before, run aground at approximately 2140 UTC (2340 local time) on Tuesday 31 October after departing Cape Town earlier in the day.

The Skipper and all 17 crew members are safe and well and there were no injuries reported on board but all were evacuated on to rescue boats provided by the NSRI (National Sea Rescue Institute) for precaution to return to shore at Hout Bay. The safety of the Skipper and crew are paramount, so all measures that have taken place have been preventative.

Clipper Race Director, Mark Light, and Chairman, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, plus members of the Maintenance Team have remained in constant contact with the Skipper and with the rescue services. After initially being informed of the grounding another of the twelve teams, Unicef, as the closest vessel, was asked to standby to assist but, as the situation is now under full control, Unicef has since been instructed to stand down and continue racing.

Ian Klopper, NSRI Kommetjie station commander, said:

At 22h34, Tuesday, 31st October, NSRI Kommetjie duty crew were activated following a report from MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) of a yacht run aground at Olifantsbospunt, Cape Point with 18 crew onboard.

The Clipper Round the World Race yacht CV24 (team Greenings) requested assistance reporting her 18 crew were in no imminent danger but the yacht had run aground on rocks at Olifantsbospunt, Cape Point.

Clipper Round the World Race yachts had departed Cape Town earlier on the day on leg 3 of the race.

NSRI Kommetjie dispatched the sea rescue craft Spirit of the Vines (Rescue 26) and a sea rescue vehicle towing our mass casualty trailer to the scene.

NSRI Hout Bay was activated and their sea rescue craft Nadine Gordimer (Rescue 8) and Albie Matthews (Rescue 8A) was launched.

NSRI Simonstown were activated and their sea rescue craft Spirit of Safmarine III (Rescue 10) was launched.

Telkom Maritime Radio Services assisted with VHF radio communications.

WC Government Health EMS and City of Cape Town Disaster Risk Management (CoCT DRM) were placed on alert.

Race officials and members of the TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority), SAMSA (South African Maritime Safety Authority) and TNPA immigration officials gathered at the NSRI Hout Bay rescue base.

The Clipper Round the World Race yacht CV21 reported to be in the vicinity and reported to be planning to attempt a rescue operation but we ordered the yacht to stand-off, despite their good intentions, and to continue sailing.

On arrival on the scene we found the yacht hard aground on rocks and all casualty crew onboard were in life-jackets on the yacht and safe and in no imminent danger in an onshore 14 knot North Westerly wind and 1.5 meter swell in a rising Spring High tide.

An NSRI Kommetjie rescue swimmer was deployed into the water from the sea rescue craft Rescue 26 and he swam to the yacht through the surf and boarded the yacht to assess the casualty crew medically and to assess the damage to the yacht. (All casualty crew were safe and not injured).

MRCC, TNPA, Metro Control (WC Government Health EMS) and CoCT DRM were informed and no additional resources were required on the scene and all remained on alert.

We looked at the option to pull the yacht off the rocks but it was decided instead to put all casualty crew into their two life-rafts.

All casualty crew were assisted into their 2 life-rafts under the supervision of the NSRI Kommetjie rescue swimmer that was onboard the casualty yacht.

The life-rafts were towed to deeper water by the 2 sea rescue Rigid Inflatable Boats (Rescue 26 and Rescue 8A) and the crew were transferred without incident from their life-rafts, some were transferred onto the larger deep-sea rescue craft (Rescue 8) and some were transferred onto the two Rigid Inflatable sea rescue craft (Rescue 26 and Rescue 8 A).

The life-rafts were left to drift ashore.

NSRI Simonstown sea rescue craft Rescue 10 was released to return to base at 01h46.

All casualty crew were brought (aboard the 3 sea rescue craft) to the sea rescue base in Hout Bay (arriving 02h45) and from there, following a briefing and immigration tasks, the casualty crew have been transported to hotels.

The operation was completed after 03h00.

There are 14 male and 4 females.

The casualty crew are British (9), Swedish (1), Korean (1) Swiss (1), New Zealand (1), Australian (3), South African (1) and Canadian (1). (Some of the casualty crew have dual Citizenships).

An NSRI Kommetjie sea rescue vehicle returned to the scene this morning and the 2 life-rafts have been recovered.

Organisers and owners of the casualty yacht are investigating salvage options.