Dismasting and being towed during the Roma Per Due 2004
a mini qualifying race, but it is a mixed fleet with all kinds of boats.
Stefano Caruso reports his adventures, for us to learn off... By Stefano Caruso
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Me and Alessandro were racing at Roma per Due sailing Arke'342, first Mini event of the season in Italy, we had a really nice start and we choose to sail out of the coast, we had the most external route of the fleet, reaching Punta Circeo the wind starter to shift very inconstantly and we had several tacks during the night and in the morning we passed just a couple of miles over Ischia very low
about what we are expecting to be. We, Navman of Yann Delplan (ex Chris sawyer boat),Pago a brandnew boat out of the same mould as Arke 342, Ettori Dottori on his Finot and the old Varinelli boat Ita 197, we passed the alignment in Capri just all in 4 minutes. After one hour time passed the rest of the mini fleet. So the battle started to be very close, and after a reef in the main, we found a good asset of the boat and we start to sail very fast and passed in
front of the race, but the way to Lipari (the second alignment) was still 100 miles in front of us. In the late afternoon we enter inside a cold front where we had the first shower and the wind was blowing around 35-40 kts. We had three reefs in the main and we reefed the solent too, we had to sail almost upwind, and it was very difficult to maintain a good asset because of violent gusts…..we start to reef and unreef very frequently…the wind was very unstable. About
9pm we entered in a very black front where the wind was really very strong, it was impossible to keep something up, we took down the main and we left only the reefed solent…….and we were riding over 8 knots of speed…the wave was very strong from the west. The wind started to blow really strong…..the gusts were very dangerous because the medium intensity was 30-35 but in the gusts the wind increase immediately to 45-50 and this was a damn for the rigging. We
heard a loud bang and we saw the mast going down ……the block that maintain the runner had broken. We start immediately to clean up everything, we took out of the water the broken part of the mast and we start to think what to do…..we had in front of us a long night, the weather was really bad and the forecast were giving more intensity for the next 12,
forecasting a strong gale at force 8.The wave was really high and narrow. We decided to call for a pan-pan at VHF. Just to tell them that we were in that position with the mast broken with no engine ( in mini race asset) and that we were not anymore in the race. We used the spare VHF antenna for communicate, and it was not easy to listen the coast guard. But after a while they answered us and they alter the course of a big ship that find us after a couple of hours, it was not very easy for
them to find us…we had to flame several red flares..the mini is very low in the water and for a boat of 200mt it is nothing in the sea at night. We were lucky because the ship had a contact with a 12mt sailing boat that was just retired from the race and after another two hours we had the possibility to drove them till to us. We try several times to take a line from them but was really difficult for the strong wave, after a while we finally took a line from them (35mt) but
was really too short for having a tow in that condition, so we took our 35 mt security line and we make a knot to make a junction between the two lines. The sailing boat start to tow us in a very big sea and strong wind for 20-25 miles till a small port after the Gulf of Sorrento. At the entrance of the port we were between two low waters, there were really big and white waves, I thought was really impossible to enter, but we were reached by the coast guard at VHF that
had a boat close to us following the operation of entrance. He sailboat entered in the small channel of entrance but after a couple of big waves the lines get a strong shock and broken leaving us at 100 mt from the coast without any possibility to manoeuvre. We called immediately the coast guard that was inside of the port , they got out immediately, they throw us a big line we secure it to the feet of the remaining mast but they gave a strong push to the motor
that they broke us the rest of the mast and the front pulpit!! They gave us a second line and really for a miracle we entered safe inside………..we were ready to leave the boat…..I really don't know what saint gave us a shaking hand!!!!!
As we arrive in the port we found a lot of journalists coming from all over the country because in the night many boats (not only the Minis) had several problems, two capsized, one abandon in the sea, some dismasted and
unfortunately one boy dead because he loose the balance and felt over a winch knocking the head very strong. (not on a Mini but on a 12m boat, but nevertheless...) Unfortunately he died after 4-5 hours inside the boat……it was a really terrible night. Logically the race was suspended.
First consideration useful for all minisailor:
The 35 mt obligatory rope. Be sure to use an interlaced rope (like those that big
boats use for docking) this is very useful for towing……if you use a rope in polyester or spectra with a sock that contain it as those you use for sailing the risk is that this kind of rope explode they are not elastic for towing….that was what happened us……
I will email this to the French miniclass…..the 35 mt rope must be elastic for towing.
Second consideration
Take always a look and a test at the spare VHF antenna, our spare antenna was
working properly and was very important to have the possibility to communicate easily with the Coast Guard and the ship that was towing us.
Third consideration
You must be always very lucky………ask exing 99 of Michele Gnutti and Paolino de Cristofaro that in the same time were capsized just few miles from us and they were took of by an helicopter……and fortunately they were able to safe the boat after a couple of days with the help of a fisherman and some Euro……..
We thanks the Coast Guard for their really professional skills, Nord Kapp the boat that towed us inside the small port of Acciaroli and their unique crew, Francesco, Giampaolo, Ceschia and some other nice friends, they were really very able sailors, they were calm and with a great sense of the sea, experienced and determined.
Now start to fit up everything and we hope to sail again soon …….as usual!!!!!!!!!!
Stefano Caruso
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