[Zeilen] Volvo Ocean Race (#16)

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Op dinsdag 23 mei 2006 14:04 schreef rubbereend het volgende:

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oke want dat zegt hij dus ook in het interview in het AD van vandaag. Daarin stond ook wat nu bekend is gemaakt over horrevoets

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Op dinsdag 23 mei 2006 16:27 schreef Landrot het volgende:

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Zit zo'n strobelight misschien wèl aan het harnas vast?

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Op dinsdag 23 mei 2006 18:29 schreef the_disheaver het volgende:
Het slot was wat minder 'maar in het nederlands graag'....

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Op dinsdag 23 mei 2006 18:31 schreef Sandworm het volgende:

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Vond het wel een mooie ontlading, professioneel antwoord op een stomme vraag.

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Op dinsdag 23 mei 2006 18:36 schreef the_disheaver het volgende:
Dat wel. Maar weer het rare gecompileer van 2vandaag. Waarom niet dat stuk ' heb ik al gezegd' en 'nederlands graag' niet eruit knippen?

Ach, 2vandaag... De reportage in het geheel viel me voor 2vandaag echter helemaal niet tegen!

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Op dinsdag 23 mei 2006 18:53 schreef the_disheaver het volgende:
ha, het doorkijken van 2vandaag was toch nuttig... lousewies gaat toch ook voor de lijsttrekkerschap. Maar beetje (erg) offtopic

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Volvo race crew describes rescue attempt at sea
Associated Press

OSLO, Norway -- Water crashed onto the deck of the ABN AMRO TWO as the winds kicked up and the seas got rough.

Suddenly, Hans Horrevoets went missing. Skipper Sebastien Josse shouted, "Where's Hans? Where's Hans?" and screamed the words sailors dread: "Man overboard!"

What ensued was a harrowing attempt to rescue Horrevoets. The crewmen recounted what happened on a conference call Tuesday, saying this would be the first and only time they would answer questions about the dramatic events aboard their boat in the seventh leg of the around-the-world Volvo Ocean Race.

ABN AMRO TWO was about 1,300 miles off England last Thursday, sailing in 16-foot waves and strong winds, when the 70-foot carbon fiber yacht nose-dived into a wave. The 32-year-old Horrevoets was trimming a spinnaker when he was swept overboard.

"We did a nose dive, and after the wave, Hans was not on board," Josse said.

After Josse alerted everyone that Horrevoets was missing, the crew went into action, tossing life buoys and markers into the water, while fighting to slow the yacht that was hurdling downwind in 28 mph winds.

Navigator Simon Fisher was below, keeping track of Horrevoets' last known position with electronic positioning systems.

On deck, the sailors were wrestling with enormous sails, trying to get them down. The crew had the boat turned around in minutes, and motored against the strong wind and waves toward the Dutch sailor.

The deck was in chaos, covered with downed sails and ropes. The crew members were focused on one thing: rescuing their teammate.

"It completely blew me away how professional this team was," Fisher said.

After about 40 minutes, they found him and managed to pull him aboard. But he was unconscious, and they couldn't revive him.

Josse said Horrevoets wasn't wearing a lifejacket or a harness attached to the boat, but was about to put on one.

"It was changing very quickly," Josse said of the worsening weather. "One by one we were going below to get our harnesses."

The ordeal wasn't over.

Three days later, on Sunday, ABN AMRO TWO received a distress call from rival yacht movistar of Spain, which was in danger of sinking from a leaking keel joint.

Once again, ABN AMRO TWO turned around to attempt a rescue.

"As soon as I heard the call I just wanted to make sure those guys were safe," Fisher said.

ABN AMRO TWO approached movistar in the heavy seas, and transferred its 10 crew by life raft.

"I don't think I've seen 10 happier guys in my life," Fisher said.

After the rescue, movistar skipper Bouwe Bekking said, "We all realized that turning around had been a very hard call for them, and hopefully they can find a little comfort that they have saved 10 lives."

Horrevoets' body was transferred at sea Monday to the Dutch frigate HNLMS Van Galen for transport home, and a funeral on Saturday.

ABN AMRO TWO finished the leg, late Monday, at Portsmouth, England, in sixth place, last of the remaining boats.

Hundreds of people, including the other Volvo Ocean Race crews, gathered on the wharf for the arrival. At first, they erupted into cheers and applause, before falling silent and watching wordlessly for about 30 minutes as the crew moored their boat and went ashore.

"We all knew it would be hard to arrive at the dock," Fisher said.

ABN AMRO said it hasn't decided whether the No. 2 boat will complete the remaining legs in the race, which ends on Goteborg, Sweden, in mid-June.