Sailor injured during boat delivery

A delivery crew member on Sydney to Hobart entry Helsal 3 has suffered injuries during the boat's passage to Sydney.

A crew member of Sydney to Hobart yacht Helsal 3 has fractured seven ribs during the boat's delivery.

The unnamed person was thrown from the galley on the port side to the starboard side during a south westerly gust of around 30-plus knots on the way from Hobart to Sydney.

He also suffered a hemothorax - blood in the lining of the lungs.

While the boat was in Bass Strait, and 12 hours from land and medical support, there was a doctor aboard.

He administered morphine for pain relief and immobilised the injured person, who was later taken to hospital.

The 29-year-old boat, which boasts a multi-national crew, also required some repairs to her after the eventful journey.

Several of the fleet's glamour boats, including line honours favourite Wild Oats XI and the new 60-foot Ichi Ban, went for training runs on Sydney Harbour on Saturday.

Wild Oats XI only returned to the water on Friday following an intensive checkup lasting four days.

The final decisions on which sails she carries in her bid for a record-equalling seventh line honours title will only be made shortly before the Boxing Day start.

Going on the race weather forecast we are seeing, the overall weight of Wild Oats XI will be critical when it comes to speed, Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards said.

"All the signs are that it will be a downwind race for most of the way," he said.

"If that is the case, we don't want to be carrying any excess weight, including sails."


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Watch now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world