A British sailor taking part in this year’s Clipper Round the World yacht race had to be rescued after falling overboard
Clipper Race crew member Andrew Taylor had to be rescued in the
early hours of yesterday morning after he fell overboard during rough weather.
The incident occurred
at 00:43 BST on Sunday and the 46-year-old from London was spotted more than an
hour later and eventually rescued at 02:13 BST.
Mr Taylor went over
the side of the Derry~Londonderry~Doire yacht during a sail change on
day 14 of race 10 in the Clipper Round the World race.
The fleet, which were
sailing in 35 knots, are currently heading to San Francisco from Qindao in
China.
Race director Justin Taylor said: “In these
conditions a man overboard is swept away from the boat very quickly and visual
contact can be lost in the swell. We have a well-rehearsed procedure to mark
the position, stop racing and engaged the engine to search for and recover the
crew member as quickly as possible.”
“An hour and a half is a very long time to be in
the water in these conditions but a combination of his sea survival training
and seven months at sea as well as wearing a life jacket and dry suit will have
contributed enormously to his survival.”
After being rescued from the water Mr Taylor was
taken below decks for treatment.
He is currently suffering from shock and may have
hypothermia but his condition is being monitored closely by medical staff
onboard.
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