Clipper Race evacuate British sailor injured in violent storm

The Unicef yacht is diverting to Shanghai to get medical help for the injured crew.

TAGS: boating accident Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

A British sailor competing in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is being taken to land after suffering a fall during a violent storm that hurled 90-knot winds and huge waves at the 12 yachts taking part.

Trudi Bubb, 50, from Crawley in Sussex, was injured when the Unicef team yacht plunged off a wave during extreme weather in the Yellow Sea on Wednesday night. Bubb fell while below decks in the galley, according to race representatives.

Unicef relief Skipper Paul Atwood recounted the on board conditions in his blog: “Slamming, driving rain, the steady 50-60 knots breeze peaking at a gust of 92 knots, the air full of horizontal spray, waves filling the cockpit …”

The Unicef yacht was more than 120 nautical miles south-east of Shanghai when the incident occurred and the team is expected to make landfall in the Chinese port around 1pm GMT today.

Atwood said the team were slightly the worse for wear but intact after the difficult weather conditions: “Last night was a tad hectic, very windy, very bouncy and saw us go around in circles as we attempted and succeeded in one evolution after another, each of which take 10 – 15 minutes in the Solent, or Sydney harbour, but which, last night, were taking 60 – 90 minutes each.”

The skipper said the sea state had improved though the crew were still battling uncooperative winds and large, “foam-streaked” waves.

Atwood and the on board medic have received advice for dealing with Bubb’s injury from doctors at the race’s remote telemedicine service.

Race Director Justin Taylor and said Bubb’s family had been informed and further updates would be announced as they come in.

The Clipper 2015-16 Round the World Yacht Race, the tenth edition of the biennial global series, is the world’s longest ocean race at more than 40,000 miles, taking 11 months to race between six continents.

It is currently the eighth stage of a 14-race global series, from Da Nang, Vietnam, to Qingdao, China.

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