Spinnaker Cup Still On Despite Fatalities in Other Boat Races | News

By Chloe Beardsley - email

MONTEREY, Calif. -- Spinnaker Cup Still on for 2012 Despite Fatalities in Other Yacht Races. The Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club says fatal accidents during the yacht races are very unlikely and they're still planning to host a yacht race in May.

The yacht club's annual Spinnaker Cup race is coming up on May 25th this year. The Monterey yacht group has no plans to reschedule or postpone the event despite news of recent fatal boat accidents. They say fatalities out on the water during a race are extremely rare.

The collision that happened Saturday along the Mexican and California Coast was the first fatal accidents the Newport Yacht Club has seen in 65 years.

A few weeks prior was another accident in the San Francisco Bay. It was the first fatal accident the San Francisco Yacht Club has seen in more than 143 years.

We talked with sailors who say being out on the water can be dangerous at times. "It's a chance everyone takes. It's like taking an airplane and going flying. You never can tell and it's just one of those things. Accidents do occur and although we probably have one of the safest bays in the country, but accidents can still happen, said Tom Seidel. 

Sailors have safety briefing before every race so they are familiar with the weather conditions. People we spoke with say the most dangerous part about being out on the water is driving around at night and when its very windy.

Lius Alvarez has been sailing for the last 4 years on his 25 foot boat says he thinks twice before going out when the water is rough. "Anything over 10 feet would concern me. Generally 7 to 8 feet is fine and then wind, I probably wouldn't go out on anything more than 20 knots," said Alvarez.

To improve the safety of their upcoming race, the Monterey Yacht Club is planning to go over new safety techniques with sailors dealing with dangerous ocean conditions. The Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club expects between 50 to 70 boats to enter in the 2012 Spinnaker Cup race. 

It will start in San Francisco and end in the Monterey Bay.