Asolare

Sunday 3rd August

Today the fleet is still recovering from yesterdays shocking news. You may have already read elsewhere about Asolare, but to fill you all in, Peter Turner and his crew Tim were sailing approx. 250 miles east of Cairns to arrive yesterday.

At about 0400 Peter was off watch and asleep in his berth when there was "a hell of a bang". This was followed seconds later by another worse one and the boat stopped dead, and fell on her side.

Peter knew immediately what had happened and when he fought his way past all the hanging clothes that were now blocking his door, he checked both his navigation systems. There was nothing charted there other than 1250 metres of water. The boat was up on a reef all the same.
An automatic distress call, a Mayday, was sent immediately and responded to in seconds. An aircraft was sent and a helicopter was scrambled as soon as it was decided that it could reach them.

3 hours later they were both in the chopper and heading for a tiny meterological station on Willis Island. As there was not enough fuel on board they landed there and filled up with diesel, not the ideal fuel for a turbine engine! They all ate a huge breakfast put on by the 3 men on the island. Then on to Cairns. Both of them are OK and about 12 of us had a dinner with Peter last night.
At this point we have no further news.

Asolare was the newest boat in the WARC fleet, less than a year old, and the best equipped of all of us. Peter is a sailor with over 50 years experience. How is there an unmarked reef so close to a continental coastline? No doubt answers will come out in time.

We are all very upset that this happened and wish both Peter & Tim all the best in the future.