Volvo OR: "We had to slalom" - Franck Cammas
by AFP 21 Jan 2018 11:45 GMT
Dongfeng - Leg 4, Melbourne to Hong Kong, arrivals. 19 January, © Pedro Martinez / Volvo Ocean Race
Teams competing in the Volvo Ocean Race had to slalom their way around numerous fishing boats while approaching Hong Kong on the fourth leg of the journey, former Volvo Ocean Race winner Franck Cammas told AFP, after a collision left one Chinese fisherman dead.
Hong Kong police said a 50-year-old man from China who was in charge of the fishing boat was airlifted to hospital but pronounced dead on arrival.
Franck Cammas, one of France's most successful sailors who was with China's Dongfeng Race Team, said they were attempting to catch up with the second-placed Vestas when the accident happened.
He said there was always a risk of collision on approach to the coast but a high number of boats in the water made the final stretch particularly challenging.
"We were in the middle of countless fishing boats. There were two areas previously that were just as dense. This was the last area before we got to Hong Kong," the 45-year-old, who skippered the winning Groupama IV in the 2011-2012 race, told AFP.
He added that these kinds of accidents were "extremely rare" because vessels usually have equipment on board to help spot other boats.
"We had to slalom a little bit... We were almost at the boat's maximum speed, around 20 knots, with boats where everyone is concentrating on controlling the sails, with a lot of water in your face too, so it's going fast, and there's a lot of noise."
The teams were also exhausted after battling the seas for more than two weeks, he said.
When a mayday call was issued, Dongfeng immediately offered assistance to the American-Danish team but were told their help was not needed.
Dongfeng's French skipper Charles Caudrelier was quoted just minutes after finishing as saying conditions had been dangerous.
"It is always very dangerous when sailing in these fishing areas when there are so many boats and some have no lights," he said.
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