Nexba capsize inquiry hands down findings
Report into the loss of the Farr X2 Nexba aims to have an impact on the future of global sailing safetyA review of the capsize of a racing yacht off Sydney in July last year that left two women clinging to the upturned boat’s hull for 14 hours has handed down a series of recommendations to short-handed sailors.
While the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club Review Working Party that was charged to look into the capsize did not answer the question of
, or apportion any blame, it did note some small changes would have helped with the crew’s rescue.“The report … aims to contribute to safety in sailing and the sailing industry,” the yacht club said in a release announcing the report’s availability.
“It includes lessons learned by those involved in the incident as a direct contribution to improved safety of the wider sailing community.
“It aligns with World Sailing's Guidelines for Independent Incident Reviews and Reporting and is supported by Australian Sailing.”
The report goes into harrowing detail describing the struggle that the near-new $300,000 moveable ballast racing yacht’s crew endured before being rescued.
The pair, which was attempting to qualify for a short-handed entry into the Sydney to Gold Coast Yacht Race later in the month, rolled into a capsize around 1am on July 2 with one of the crew below decks and one at the helm.
The crew below decks, who was in the act of changing into warmer clothing ahead of a change of watch, was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the capsize. The boat gave few details that it was about to lose the keel, although it did start to behave oddly and water, believed to have leaked from the ballast system, was seen below decks.
Once capsized, the pair then had to cling to the rudders before later moving to the saildrive during a break in the weather after “many hours” near the transom. Several attempts to dive into the upturned hull to retrieve Nexba’s Emergency Position Indicator Radio Beacon (EPIRB) failed.
Marine Rescue NSW attempted to phone the skipper around 7am and 10am, at either end of Nexba’s estimated arrival window, as well as notify the crew’s next of kin, who also attempted to contact the boat. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which coordinates search and rescue operations, was notified at 11.50am.
They were not spotted until 3pm that day by a passing cargo ship, with the crew soon rescued by HMAS Brisbane. The skipper’s personal locator beacon, which had not fully extended its antenna after it was activated, had only transmitted one signal a day after the incident. It was found washed up on a beach along with the yacht, without its keel and mast.
Key recommendations from the report include:
- Logging on with marine rescue services and introducing scheduled contact with marine rescue services or on-land support
- Looking at appropriate liferaft locations for variable ballast boats
- Fitting a grab bag that is more easily accessible if the boat is inverted
- Using a float-free EPIRB when sailing two-handed
- Sailors generally to carry personal locator and automatic identification/crew overboard system beacons at all times, and to test the equipment before heading out
- Consideration for carrying ‘spare air’ breathing systems for two-handed crews
The full review report is available online.
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