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For his 44 years as a military pilot and Commercial airline Captain, Craig Warner has had the benefit of the most intense safety training available. He is also a 40-year-long racer (who was on the winning J/105 SEALARK – owned by Clark Pellet – in the 2022 Chicago Mackinac Race) and has always tried to bring his safety background knowledge and commitment to sailing. In this report, Warner shares a compelling case for prevention:
On the Chicago to Waukegan Race back in 1992, a good friend of mine, a fellow Soling sailor, crewed on one of the boats in the race. She had been racing for some 20 years, and she loved the sport. To quote her, “I can count on two hands the times I wore a life jacket. This year’s beat to Waukegan was not one of them.”
The skipper ordered life jackets, and she handed them to the crew while she was down below navigating. When she came on deck, she forgot to wear hers. At some point during the race, she went overboard.
When she hit the water, she began to find it increasingly difficult to breathe due to inhaling water. Her clothing quickly became saturated and impaired her swimming ability. As she struggled, she saw another boat pass by with crew members pointing at her. When they left without rendering aid, she felt despair. The survival clock started ticking, and for all practical purposes, it was fait accompli…
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