Yeh, looks like Remo.That's horrible.

Hi Macro,
Not having a go, but maybe in your example the snorkelers have just as much right to be there ???
Who's to say that the wind powered crew have more rights to the water than the snorkeler ?
If an incident occurred, I think the maritime rules would work in the right of the swimmer over the wind powered craft coming to close to them, even if polers were there first or think they have more rights to own that public space.

Windsurf in an area full of powerboats and yachts?????

Windsurf where people fish?????

lotofwind said..
Hi Macro,
Not having a go, but maybe in your example the snorkelers have just as much right to be there ???
Who's to say that the wind powered crew have more rights to the water than the snorkeler ?
If an incident occurred, I think the maritime rules would work in the right of the swimmer over the wind powered craft coming to close to them, even if polers were there first or think they have more rights to own that public space.

Well said.

nebbian said..
I've come within half a second of doing it...

Belting along in the Peel estuary, went downwind slightly to avoid an anchored boat, then about 5 metres in front of me just under the water I see a large pink object (a snorkeller's back). Took emergency evasion and missed the bloke's nose by centimeters... was watching him after I passed and it took a good second or two before he jumped.

Very scary stuff. At that speed if you hit someone in the right spot there would be no second chance.

That was one of my staff from work.

He came in on the Monday and said "bloody hell I almost got run over by a windsurfer on the weekend"

Told him he was lucky to be alive and to put an f'king dive flag on his boat, which he did after that.

elmo said...

nebbian said..
I've come within half a second of doing it...

Belting along in the Peel estuary, went downwind slightly to avoid an anchored boat, then about 5 metres in front of me just under the water I see a large pink object (a snorkeller's back). Took emergency evasion and missed the bloke's nose by centimeters... was watching him after I passed and it took a good second or two before he jumped.

Very scary stuff. At that speed if you hit someone in the right spot there would be no second chance.

That was one of my staff from work.

He came in on the Monday and said "bloody hell I almost got run over by a windsurfer on the weekend"

Told him he was lucky to be alive and to put an f'king dive flag on his boat, which he did after that.

Not just a windsurfing issue. A few years ago I took my dad for a fish and approaching the spot in the boat we noticed what looked like an abandoned runabout anchored in the middle of nowhere. We were concerned that someone had fallen overboard so went closer. Seconds later we heard someone shouting abuse and turned to see a diver in our boat wake. Apparently we narrowly missed hitting him! No flag, no buddy and no sign of anyone diving.

I feel for the snorkeler's family and equally for the windsurfer in this case as he would be going through hell after an incident like that and will never be the same again.

Gees that's terrible news. Can't even imagine how the windsurfer or victims family are feeing right now.

It looks like it happened at the famous speed sailing spot on the island just North of Pozo, called Arinaga.

This is Robby Naish breaking the World Kitesurf Speed Record there in 2003.
www.dailymotion.com/video/xgzs94

I have read that diving is prohibited there and that may be the case because it has been used a lot over many years for speed sailing.

There are rare places that have natural conditions that suit certain sports/activities and maybe many, many spots that suit other activities.
While swimmers are not a risk to others, there are many cases where areas are designated for certain activities and not others. So although on safety grounds there is the argument that swimmers should be allowed to swim anywhere and others have to then leave the place, designated areas are a better way of dealing with some situations.

Man up and sail in the ocean. Problem solved.

More info, in English.

spanishnewstoday.com/bather-virtually-decapitated-by-windsurfer-in-gran-canaria_21894-a.html#.VbDAsUrXerX

Man that sucks big time! I almost did the same 6-8 years ago when kiteboarding. There is a guy who does laps up and down one of our local beaches. One stormy winter session when the beach was deserted with rough, messy shorebreak, I was coming back in. My buddy who was to catch the kite kept giving me hand signals which I didn't grasp. Anyway he caught the kite and was freaking out a bit. Apparently I had skimmed about a foot in front of the swimmers face! The water was so rough that he never noticed, nor did I even see him!

Scary!

This is not a comment on the circumstances of the above accident, as we don't know who was aware of who and what was said prior to the unfortunate incident.

Having said that, whenever we sail, if we are aware of the presence of swimmers or divers, that we never sail in proximity to them. As we are the dangerous water craft, its our responsibility to avoid contact with swimmers. If we don't self regulate, then councils and other authorities will, and take the decision from our hands and unilaterally restrict the areas where we can sail. Sailors on Port Phillip Bay have just recently negotiated through an attempt of the local authorities to do just that.

ikw777 said..
Man up and sail in the ocean. Problem solved.

If you sailed in the Ocean ie Wavesailing you'd notice there thousands of swimmers & surfers out there you idiot!

Hroar said..

ikw777 said..
Man up and sail in the ocean. Problem solved.

If you sailed in the Ocean ie Wavesailing you'd notice there thousands of swimmers & surfers out there you idiot!

How many swimmers 1km off-shore? That's right, a damn lot less that at the beach. Going even 400 metres out will do it.

if you sail close to beaches and sandbanks you WILL interact with swimmers.

I don't think swimmers have any idea of how sharp the leading edge of a slalom fin is.
You cant blame them either I guess.
Ive often stopped in the shallows near the beach and shown my fin to swimmers that I thought were naive,as a kind of educational exercise, but they never take any notice.

lotofwind said...
Hi Macro,
Not having a go, but maybe in your example the snorkelers have just as much right to be there ???
Who's to say that the wind powered crew have more rights to the water than the snorkeler ?
If an incident occurred, I think the maritime rules would work in the right of the swimmer over the wind powered craft coming to close to them, even if polers were there first or think they have more rights to own that public space.

Really?? Even if I was I the right, I personally don't want my head chopped off but feel comfortable that I was in the right!!

Kinda like waiting at the traffic lights to cross the road, green light says walk, big truck is screaming through the intersection, I walk anyway as I have a green light and am in "the right". I might be injured or die but I am so pleased that I had the right of way!!