Most of you are aware of the unfortunate incident on the starting line this past week when Spirit was involved in a collision with another smaller schooner, Perception, out of Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts. Because of the high-profile photograph in the Royal Gazette, the complexity of the applicable sailing right-of-way rules, and the potential for misunderstanding of what happened, it is important to report in detail the facts of the incident.
In particular, the photograph on the front page of the Royal Gazette, while sensational, does not accurately reflect the scenario and has created a great deal of misunderstanding. The photograph showed the situation AFTER the collision and Perception’s subsequent gybe. The sail positions of Perception in this photo bear no resemblance to the situation before and during the collision.
The facts of the incident are:
1. On the day of the incident Spirit was being sailed by an expert team with extensive sailboat racing experience. This was Spirit’s fifth Tall Ship race this summer.
2. Perception approached the start line on the same tack as Spirit (port tack)
3. Perception was to windward of Spirit and therefore obligated to keep clear under both the ISAF Racing Rules and the COLREGS (the "International Regulations for Avoiding Collisions at Sea")
4. Perception tried to squeeze between Spirit and the starting buoy, an act which is called “barging” in the yacht racing rules and which is forbidden, as well as being considered poor seamanship
5. On both counts (items 3 and 4 above) Perception was in the wrong
6. Several minutes before the start, Spirit had slightly changed her course by heading up into the wind to slow down because she was a little early for the start
7. Having slowed down, Spirit had reduced maneuverability
8. Spirit weighs 100 tons and cannot change course quickly
9. Spirit took immediate evasive action once a collision appeared probable while Perception held her course. Spirit retired from the race immediately in order to render assistance to Perception as necessary
10. If Spirit and Perception had been motoring under power, Spirit would have had the right of way because she was to starboard of the Perception
11. Even if construed as a ‘meeting’ situation, Perception should have altered course so as to pass to starboard of Spirit (that is, passing ‘port-to-port’)
Essentially Perception was in the wrong under any conceivable interpretation of maritime rules of the road. However, even if she had right of way her decision to squeeze in front of Spirit would have led to an inevitable collision. There simply wasn’t sufficient room for her to safely complete the maneuver.
(The report contained the photo that is posted on the home page of this website with the following comment: "To the right of the photo Perception can be seen ‘diving inside’ or ‘barging’ at the starting mark (on port tack). She is to windward of Spirit, whose three masts can be seen behind the schooner in the foreground".
(The report also contained a second photo of the incident a few seconds later with the comment: "
This second photo shows that, even at the moment of and after the collision, Perception’s mainsail is winged out to starboard putting her on the port tack".)
Spirit has filed a report with the US Coast Guard which is conducting an investigation into the incident.
To help to prevent this sort of incident happening again, the Bermuda Sloop Foundation is recommending to the organizers of the Gloucester Schooner Race the inclusion of a policy common to other Tall Ship Races (Sail Training International, American Sail Training Association), whereby there is an exclusion zone adjacent to the start line for the five minute period prior to the race start. This removes the possibility of barging amongst vessels slow to maneuver.
Beyond this narrow, legalistic perspective, the expedition nevertheless delivered on its promise. The Spirit programme is all about learning and preparing young people for the future. Lessons were learned and by all accounts the professional crew, the volunteer crew and the trainees conducted themselves in exemplary fashion. The following is one of the emails received giving testimony to the crew’s professionalism:
“We are writing to express our sincere gratitude to Malcolm Kirkland and the Bermuda Sloop Foundation for allowing us to be part of that amazing experience onboard Spirit on Sunday. Despite the obvious regrets associated with any collision, the net result, from our standpoint, was actually quite thrilling, edifying and rewarding. More than anything, we were so impressed by the level of professionalism, poise, seamanship and moral integrity displayed by the entire Spirit crew. Not an emotional or harsh word was spoken throughout the ordeal – not a hint of anger or recriminations – just total concern for personal health and safety first, and then how best to comply with the rules of the Race Committee and any other maritime rules that applied. We are sorry that the Spirit crew and management had to undergo such a stressful and challenging event, but we salute you for the amazing brilliance, sensitivity and professionalism with which you all handled it. It was truly a pleasure and an honor to have been witness to the experience. Once again, thank you!
Best wishes,
Beta and Sandy Weedon”
Spirit, like her forebears the Bermuda schooners of the 17th Century, is a fast boat. We are proud of this fact and have entered her in a number of races where she has ‘done Bermuda proud’. This particular race, the Gloucester Mayor’s Cup for large schooners, coincided serendipitously with Spirit’s return voyage from her annual refit at Rockport Marine in Maine.
Spirit is now back in Bermuda to undertake 28 five-day voyages for Middle School students over the course of the 2009/2010 academic year.