SW-INC-0051SeaWise Incidents

Huw Jars - Skipper lost overboard during a club race

A skipper without a lifejacket drowned within ten minutes of going over in a club race.

verified · 1 sourceO
Vessel
Huw Jars26.2 ft · Sailing yacht
When
2006Atlantic
Crew
6 aboard5 survived · 1 lost
Outcome
Returned safely
Position
off Holyhead, Anglesey, Wales
Sea area
Irish Sea
Coordinates
53.31°N, -4.63°WApproximate position
Summary

What happened.

On 21 June 2006, during a sailing-club race off Holyhead, the skipper of the 8-metre yacht Huw Jars fell overboard. He was not wearing a lifejacket. The crew recovered him within about ten minutes, but he had drowned. The MAIB urged the club to require lifejackets, ensure a competent backup crew member can take over if the skipper goes over or is incapacitated, and establish man-overboard procedures and equipment.

At about 1859 on 21 June 2006 the privately-owned 8-metre sailing yacht Huw Jars was taking part in a sailing-club race off Holyhead, North Wales, with six crew aboard. During the race the skipper fell overboard. He was not wearing a lifejacket. Although the crew recovered him from the water within about ten minutes, he had drowned. The MAIB's chief inspector wrote to the sailing club recommending it address the requirement to carry and wear lifejackets, the need for an adequately experienced backup crew member who can take over if the skipper falls overboard or is incapacitated, and the need to establish man-overboard procedures and provide appropriate equipment.

Lessons learned

What it teaches.

  • 1
    Wear a lifejacket on deck. The skipper was recovered within ten minutes yet still drowned — a lifejacket helps keep an exhausted or unconscious person's airway clear.
    man overboard
  • 2
    Have a capable second aboard. If the skipper goes over or is incapacitated, someone must be able to handle the boat and run the recovery.
    man overboard
  • 3
    Rehearse man-overboard recovery and keep the gear ready. A practised drill decides the outcome; improvising in the moment costs time you do not have.
    man overboard
Sources

Where this comes from.

Official report· MAIB (UK)Person overboard from sailing yacht Huw Jars with loss of 1 lifeVisit ↗

SeaWise indexes and links to primary sources; it does not host their reports or media. Crew are referred to by role unless documented consent is on file.

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Record IDSW-INC-0051
Curated bySeaWise editorial
Confidenceverified · 1 source
Record typeIncident

About SeaWise records: We catalogue sailing emergencies with structured metadata and link to primary sources rather than republishing them. Individual crew names are anonymised by default— sources we link to may name them publicly; SeaWise refers to roles ("the skipper", "the crew") on our pages. Submitter identities are always private.