All crew are safe and the ORACLE TEAM USA AC45S test platform is secure back at base following a capsize during training in Bermuda on Wednesday afternoon.
“It was a great day for training, sunny, 15-20 knots of wind,” said skipper Jimmy Spithill. “So it was a great afternoon of sailing until we capsized.
“The boat didn’t tip over through a nose-dive, which is what normally happens, but we were just pressed over sideways.”
The boat was righted quickly with the assistance of the team chase boats and was then able to sail back to base.
“It was a good test of our on-water safety procedures. Everybody is safe, it looks like we had minimal damage, but we’ll know more on that after the shore crew get a look,” Spithill said.
ORACLE TEAM USA is the second team to capsize during training in the past few months. Land Rover BAR capsized on the Solent in the UK just before Christmas.
“Hopefully we don’t see too many more of these, but this is where we are as a sport where you’re always pushing to be on the limit. We’ll learn from this and move forward.”
Tom Slingsby has put his hand up to claim responsibility: “I was steering and I have to say there were some scary moments waiting to see if everyone was ok. We all know this can and has gone very wrong in the past. All ok, crew safe and minor damage considering.”
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