Dispute In The Eye Of The Storm: Slats Face Danger And Punishment

Table of contents:

Dispute In The Eye Of The Storm: Slats Face Danger And Punishment
Dispute In The Eye Of The Storm: Slats Face Danger And Punishment

Video: Dispute In The Eye Of The Storm: Slats Face Danger And Punishment

Video: Dispute In The Eye Of The Storm: Slats Face Danger And Punishment
Video: Scorpions - Eye of the Storm (Lyric Video) 2024, March
Anonim

For the last few miles, there was still trouble on the horizon of the Golden Globe sailors: While the French front runner Jean-Luc Van Den Heede sailed towards the hoped-for victory with only 60 nautical miles to the finish at a boat speed of just under five knots on Monday evening, His tireless hunter Mark Slats was not only confronted with a gap of around 335 nautical miles. The Dutchman is also facing a time penalty because, according to information from the race management, his team management should have contacted him about an impending storm in the Biskaydirekt. The team management put it differently in a statement on social networks, writing that Slats called his Shore manager and not the other way around.

Golden Globe Race 2018
Golden Globe Race 2018

Jean-Luc Van Den Heede is about to triumph

Slats
Slats

For Mark Slats from the Netherlands, the last nautical miles of the Golden Globe Race bring danger and trouble after a great fight

The direct contact, which is prohibited by the regulations, was preceded by the dangerous storm forecasts and a dispute between Slat's team manager Dick Koopmans and the race management, which the organizers documented on Monday evening in a press release in its course and with e-mail quotes. According to the regatta management, the dispute began with the fact that Koopmans asked at 10.30 a.m. to move the finish line 50 nautical miles forward, which was rejected.

The request was preceded by Koopman's own research. According to Koopman's understanding, the race management in the person of organizer Don McIntyre had given Mark Slats the recommendation earlier that day to sail into the Bay of Biscay in his boat. He, Koopmans, did not agree to this for security reasons. He then contacted the Dutch and English coast guards and the Dutch meteorologist Gerrit Hiemstr and asked for their advice. Everyone had spoken out against the finish on Thursday. Hiemstr had described sailing in the Bay of Biscay and the entry into the port of Les Sables d'Olonne calculated for Thursday as "completely irresponsible".

At 11:59 am, the Koopmans team replied, saying that they had sent Slats a weather warning and then called him on the satellite phone for emergencies to discuss the weather scenarios with him. Slats told the race management that he could receive weather information and knew about the upcoming storm. The race management then informed Koopmans that Slats would not reduce his pace and would continue on course for the finish line. In addition, Koopmans was offered the option of sending weather information to Slats via race management.

At 12.21 p.m. Koopmans replied to the race management by email, reporting on his research: "I spoke to Gerrit Hiemstr, one of our leading meteorologists in Holland … In his opinion it is completely unsafe to sail into the Bay of Biscay. He recommends staying outside and (the race) in LCoruñ or Brest, but not in Les Sables d'Olonne. That is also the (unofficial) opinion of the Dutch Coast Guard and the Coast Guard in Falmouth. I am very unhappy with your recommendation and am considering putting Mark on his Iridium- Calling the phone, whatever the consequences."

At 1:16 pm, Regatta Director Don McIntyre replied to this email: "Just a reminder that we never make recommendations to regatta participants. We let them know, but the final decision is up to them. Mark receives weather reports from viFunk … I would strongly recommend that you DO NOT call Mark. I have offered to forward any recommendation you would like to know about his safety and how to avoid the storm. I am still waiting for this recommendation. All decisions are the responsibility of the skipper. I now ask officially on your recommendation of the safest route for him, if you want to be part of the effort to get him to the safest place. I will then forward it to him from you."

At 1:28 p.m. the regatta headquarters sent a message to Mark Slats: "Dick recommendation: take a course for LCoruñ or Brest to avoid the storm." Five minutes later, headquarters received an email from Koopmans which was rendered as follows: "You are ignoring authorities like the coast guards and a top meteorologist. I don't trust the Race Committee for their knowledge of the situation. I think safety is more important now is than the rules. I will be sending messages to Mark on his Iridium phone from now on. Recommendation from Mr. Hiemstra: 'Have a helicopter ready.' "A minute later Koopmans followed up with another message:" Do not speak on my behalf with mark."

YOU MAY NOT CONTACT MARK

Four minutes later, the Koopmans stewardship replied: "Mark will be punished for violating the rules. We have not been instructed by any authority and if you check your e-mails - we are waiting for your recommendation as to where we should send him. Your actions and comments are correct NOT Mark's racing interests and we both work for Mark's safety. PLEASE send your messages through the GGR. If further clarification is necessary, please call. WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION. YOU RISK A CENTRAL PUNISHMENT FOR MARK … YOUR CHOICE WE HAVE MADE IT MADE THAT WE CAN SEND HIM ANY MESSAGE. WE ARE STILL WAITING. DO NOT CONTACT MARK."

At 1:46 p.m. Koopmans wrote to race management: "Safety is more important than penalties. You can all read the news later and then decide on penalties." According to the organizers, Koopmans ignored the advice of the race management and sent Slats direct messages.

At around 4 p.m. Mark Slats called the race management again to go through the weather scenarios and asked for permission to call Koopmans and hear his recommendations. The race management initially agreed because Koopmans had still not passed on his safety information to the race management. At a later meeting of the Race Committee, however, it was decided not to provide the number, as your call to Koopmans would mean outside help and thus another breach of the rules.

Slats called the switchboard shortly after 4 p.m. and announced that he wanted to call LCoruña. He confirmed that Koopmans had contacted him directly. Slats was informed that he would face a time penalty. The Race Committee wants to meet on Tuesday on this case and check the facts. Any kind of time penalty, the organizers stated, will have to be decided and communicated at sea and before the end of the race.

In another statement, Don McIntyre said in the evening: "There are two issues here. One is safety and that we are all working together in the interests of Mark. The other is the Notice of Race process. The GGR will continue to do so Offer weather recommendations to all participants. Unfortunately, Slats' team manager decided not to adhere to the Notice of Race."

In addition to Van Den Heede and Slats, there are three other sailors in the race, in which 18 soloists started 211 days and around twelve hours ago and some were eliminated under dramatic circumstances. In third place was the Estonian Uku Randmaa, who still had 3567 nautical miles to complete.

Recommended: