Vestas 11th Hour Racing involved in collision, fatality confirmed

Vestas 11th Hour Racing, one of the teams competing in the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race, has been involved in a collision with a fishing vessel before the finish of Leg 4, near Hong Kong. The collision has resulted in a fatality of a crew of the fishing vessel. 

The incident occurred approximately 30 miles from the finish of Leg 4, outside of Hong Kong waters. Race Control at Volvo Ocean Race headquarters was informed of the collision by the team moments after it happened at approximately 17:23 UTC on Friday January 19, 2018 (01:23 local time on Saturday morning).

The Vestas 11th Hour Racing team, none of whom were injured in the collision, issued a Mayday distress call on behalf of the other vessel, alerting the Hong Kong Marine Rescue Coordination Centre (HKMRCC) and undertook a search and rescue mission.

HKMRCC informed Race Control that a commercial vessel in the area was able to rescue nine of the crew and that a tenth crew member was taken by helicopter to hospital. HKMRCC has since confirmed the death of the air-lifted crew member.