Safe racing

A near tragedy calls for some serious rethinking. That’s what the Friendship Sloop Society is doing after the sloop Endeavor sank off the Rockland breakwater during its recent annual races.

Endeavor, a capable 25-footer with a topmast, skippered by Richard Stanley of Southwest Harbor, a skilled boat builder and experienced sailor, was among 18 sloops that got off to a fast start in the first day’s race. Howling winds that probably rose to 30 knots, with gusts maybe as high as 40, had the boats on their beam ends over most of the nine-mile course and added an element of danger. The boats heeled over so far when beating upwind that green water sometimes surged over the coamings and into the cockpits. Seven of the skippers quit the race, turning on their engines, dousing their sails, and heading for port.

Endeavor, flying all sails except for the topsail, was among the leaders when a sudden gust pushed it far over. Mr. Stanley let out the mainsheet and shoved the tiller hard a-lee, trying to bring it into the wind. But the sloop unexpectedly went down at the bow, raising the rudder out of the water, so that the boat lost steerageway. Water poured into the cockpit, and it sank in less than 30 seconds.

Mr. Stanley and his crew of four had no time to pull the life jackets from a locker under the starboard bench and put them on. They managed to stay afloat by grabbing oars, a hatch cover and other debris that rose to the choppy surface. Stanley’s father, Ralph W. Stanley, the Southwest Harbor builder of many Friendships including Endeavor, happened to be a mile away in his powerboat. He raced to the scene, and he and his wife, Marion, and his radioman, Leo Campbell, pulled all five aboard. They were chilled after 10 minutes in the cold water, but uninjured.

A half-dozen other sloops were within a mile or so of the accident. Some saw the Endeavor go down; some were too busy handling their own boats. Communications were difficult. Some radios didn’t work, and channel 72 was full of chatter. One sloop downed sails and headed for the scene. The others, seeing Ralph Stanley going to the rescue, continued the race.

Should they have at least stood by to be sure the five people were saved and to communicate with the committee boat? The first of the “Fundamental Rules” of racing, titled “Helping those in danger,” says: “A boat or competitor shall give all possible help to any person or vessel in danger.”

Richard Stanley says if other sloops had crowded to the scene they could have interfered with the rescue rather than helping. Still, he says, it would have made sense for some to stand by in case his father had trouble pulling the five out of the water. The elder Stanley, a sturdy 72-year-old, had had recent heart surgery and could have needed help.

Richard Stanley says a rule for future races should require that all life jackets should be loose and available on deck and possibly worn if not too cumbersome. Other precautions being considered include mandatory fixed radios in workable condition. When high winds are predicted, the committee may be less reluctant to call off a day’s race rather than leaving it up the each skipper’s discretion. The committee may arrange for rubber boats to patrol the course to be ready for any emergency.

Everyone seems to agree that Richard Stanley and his crew would have died if Ralph Stanley had not been nearby and able to rescue them.