Sailing Schizophrenia - Clipper yacht abandoned as 'not economic'

4:41 AM Mon 18 Jan 2010 GMT

'Irish Cork clipper now abandoned to fall apart on the reef' .

While organisations such as Sailors for the Sea and Oceans Watch work for sustainability and the preservation of our ocean environment, the sailing world has just shown further evidence of its schizophrenia.

The organiser of the Clipper round the world yacht race, the legendary Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, has just announced that the a racing yacht and its contents, holed and sitting on a reef in Indonesia, will be 'donated' to the Indonesians. The yacht, the Irish Cork Clipper, had been sailing from Geraldton in Western Australia to Singapore when it hit a rock and was badly damaged.

In his announcement there was no responsibility taken for the fact that the Indonesians living in the remote island of Gosong Mampan in Java Indonesia, 200 miles north east of Jakarta, did not ask for more plastic to be left on their pristine reefs. Sir Robin merely said that 'Clipper accepts the surveyors' practical opinion and I'd like to thank all of those who have assisted in our rescue efforts over the last couple of days.'

As she was - skippered by Richie Fearon during crew training. The 16 crew were quickly rescued - Clipper Ventures Plc. - .. .

Thanks to modern rescue training, communication and systems, the 16 crew had been quickly and safely transferred to other boats. They were all reported safe and well, and their families were immediately informed.

However, when called, ocean surveyors and salvage experts concluded the 68ft (22.72m) yacht, which cost ?1m, had been so weakened by the pounding that she would not survive being refloated and towed 450 miles to Singapore. Even then the extent of damage put her beyond economic repair, organisers said.

Race organiser Sir Robin Knox Johnston said: 'It is with very great sadness that we have to accept that Cork Clipper will remain on the reef as we lose her to the sea.'

In this era of growing enlightenment, when so much effort is being put into raising awareness of the damage that plastic can do to the ocean environment and the sea life that depends on it, how can we, as sailors who call the ocean our home, not be held responsible for making some effort to retrieve our rubbish, arguing merely that it is 'not economic' to do so?

by Des Ryan