Cowes Week participation came at a price for the skipper of a Norwegian ocean racer when just after beginning the long passage home this evening (Sunday) he received a potentially serious injury, resulting in an urgent call for help to the local RNLI inshore lifeboat.
The yacht, the 40ft Asiss, was just a mile out into the Solent when one of the other three crew members alerted Solent Coastguard that the 56-year-old skipper had been thrown so heavily across the cockpit that he went through one of the two steering wheels.
When the lifeboat, skippered by Patrick Moreton, arrived alongside the racer, two lifeboat crew members – James Rankin and Dr Will King – were put aboard the yacht, which appeared to have been involved in an accidental gybe.
While James helped with the yacht’s lines, Will examined the injured skipper. He said later:
“He had been thrown so violently through one of the steering wheels that its spokes were broken.”
“Although conscious he was obviously very shaken. He suffered a lot of pain from one of his arms, which could well have been broken, he also had burn marks on his neck.”
After the yacht was escorted to Trinity Landing Will completed his immobilisation of both areas of concern, to await the arrival of the ambulance from St Mary’s Hospital, Newport. Also meeting the yacht were Coastguard Rescue members from Newport, whose portable spinal board was used to convey the skipper to the ambulance on The Parade.
The Asiss was one of 22 yachts competing in the IRC Class One event of Cowes Week.
The Cowes lifeboat was launched at 19:10 and returned to station at 19:54.
