The founder of the Clipper Round the World yacht race has vowed to conduct a full investigation into the death of a British woman who was killed while taking part in the competition.
Sarah Young, 40, from London, was swept into the Pacific Ocean by a wave as she tended to the mainsail in high winds aboard the 70ft IchorCoal on Friday.
Race organisers said they had permission from Young’s partner and family to bury her at sea.
“Following guidance from the doctor and our medical advisers and consultation with the Maritime Coastguard Agency, plus Sarah’s partner, friends, family and the crew, we have decided to proceed with a burial at sea as soon as weather conditions permit, because of the long time it will take to reach closest landfall,” they said in a statement.
“The yacht has been sent details of the burial at sea ceremony, which has been used for centuries by mariners, along with some personal readings from her loved ones, and will advise the race office with at least two hours’ notice when they are ready to proceed.
“We appreciate that this will be a difficult and emotional time for the crew, the entire fleet and the whole Clipper Race family. Our thoughts remain with them all and with Sarah’s partner, family and friends at this difficult time.
“Sarah was much loved, and will be missed deeply by all who knew her. On behalf of her family and friends, they have asked us to request that they are now allowed to grieve and remember Sarah in peace.”
Young was the second IchorCoal crew member to die in the race. Andrew Ashman, 49, from Kent, died in September after being knocked unconscious while sailing off the coast of Portugal.
Robin Knox-Johnston said competitors were in shock about Young’s death. He said the investigation would examine why she was not tethered to the yacht.
“The only person who can tell us why she wasn’t tethered is Sarah herself and of course she never will,” he told the BBC. “We just don’t know. We are all frustrated she wasn’t tethered on, terribly sad we’ve lost her obviously, but just frustrated. Just not clipping on takes about three seconds and it’s cost her her life.
“It’s night time, six-foot waves, strong winds ... it took them about an hour to get back to her and I regret to say that by the time they did she was dead.”
Knox-Johnston earlier said in a statement that crew safety “has always been and continues to be our main priority and we shall investigate the incident immediately in full cooperation with the authorities”. It was an appalling coincidence that two crew from the same yacht had died, he told the BBC.
Young was recovered from the sea after spending about an hour in the water. Her crewmates were unable to resuscitate her and she never regained consciousness, a race spokeswoman said.
Organisers said: “Across the fleet, the conditions have been very testing over the last 24 hours, with high winds, a nasty sea state and very cold temperatures.”
The incident happened on day 12 of the ninth race in the 14-stage Clipper race, which takes crews across the Pacific from Qingdao in China to Seattle in the US.
Organisers said there was a sombre mood among competitors on Saturday following the fatality. Peter Thornton, the skipper of the Great Britain, said: “Extremely sad news about Sarah and we are all quite shocked and suddenly acutely aware of where and what we are in this world. I cannot imagine what IchorCoal and her family are going through right now so our thoughts are with all who knew and loved Sarah.”
Fellow IchorCoal crew member Elliotte Ashcroft said on Facebook she felt “sick and shocked by this totally awful news”. Ashcroft wrote: “Thoughts and prayers and much love and support go out to the onboard crew, Daz, Sarah’s family and all who knew this witty, ballsy, caring lady. X”
Louise Thomas met Young while they were training for the race and asked to be put on the same yacht. A back injury forced her to leave the InchorCoal for some of the race, but she had planned to rejoin the crew in Seattle.
“Unfortunately this promise can now not be met … Sarah E Young I love you and you will forever remain in my heart,” Thomas wrote on Facebook.
Young had herself left the yacht late last year when it reached Albany in West Australia to fly back to London to be with her elderly mother, Jean, who was nearing the end of her life.
After the funeral was held in December, she returned to Australia to take part in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race that began on Boxing Day.
Young, an only child whose father had already passed away, was the director of Bespoke Establishments, a company that provides services for wealthy people.
She was taking part in the race to celebrate her 40th birthday. In a LinkedIn blog post last year, she wrote: “For my 40th year, I am taking to the seas – spending 11 months racing from London to Rio, on to Cape Town, Albany, Sydney, the Whitsunday Islands, Vietnam, Qingdao, Seattle, New York, Derry, and back to the UK. I’m sure it will be a year of challenge and adventure.”
The Clipper race was established almost 20 years ago and this is the 10th time it has been staged. Young and Ashman are the only fatalities in the history of the race.
In 1969 Knox-Johnston became the first person to sail solo and non-stop around the world.
