|
It did not take much
for the ‘Alfred’s II’ to break its mooring and come to
lay to rest at Terrigal’s ‘The Haven’ on Monday
evening, but it has been a massive job to get what was to be
the Laser World’s start boat back to dry dock.
Over 35 hours have passed since the incident, but it was all
go at The Haven this morning, a Caterpillar digger, Waters
Crane Services from Gosford and Mark Anderson’s Boat
Transport Specialist semi-trailer all involved in the
exercise to return the 32ft half cabin boat to the Royal
Prince Alfred Yacht Club on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
An insurance
assessor has already been to the scene and an employee from
the RPAYC has also been in attendance.
Originally, a Laser
sailing coach spotted the boat lying on its side on the
beach and notified the World’s event management. Max
Ryan, a sailor of note and member of the start boat crew was
first on the scene, followed by rescue authorities and
police.
At 9.30am this
morning, a crew had gently lowered the vessel onto
Anderson’s truck and were making sure the boat was secured
properly before heading home.
The propeller is
bent and had pushed up through the hull, leaving a hole.
A piece of carpet is poking through a hole on the forward
port side and bits have chipped away from the keel - and
that’s just what an untrained eye picks up.
During his speech at
last evening’s Laser World Championship Opening Ceremony,
Gosford Sailing Club president Vardon Brown
said: “Our thoughts are with the Royal Prince Alfred
Yacht Club. They kindly loaned us a boat and what has
happened is terrible.”
A Good Samaritan
from the host venue, Gosford Sailing Club, has made his
comfortable catamaran available and that is what will be
used today for the Laser World’s Practice Race starting
from 2.30pm. The weather looks kinder too; the sun is
out for the first time in days, expected rain nowhere in
sight as yet, and a light breeze is blowing.
|
