What happened to the OEX?

July 17, 20191min read

The photo shows the yacht OEX project Santa Cruz 70. Beautiful and well deserved boat. Last Saturday, she left Los Angeles and headed for Honolulu.

There went another 89 yachts, whose owners decided to take part in the famous 50-second account of race, Transpacific Race. Or, in short, Transpac. Distance – 2225 nautical miles.

The owner and skipper OEX – John Sangmeister – man in the world famous sails. Once raced with Dennis Conner, held over the head of the America’s Cup. Win in the Transpac is true, on the trimaran called Tritium. And now – on OEX – dreamed of becoming the winner in its division.

Will not. And here we come to the main point in this post. Because the OEX is no more. Sank.

On Monday, less than two days after the launch, the boat through gelmart began to fill with water. What is the reason and what happened with baller crew until the end and did not understand. More precisely – did not understand. The yacht was sinking, and had to evacuate.

Fortunately, nearby there was another participant in the Transpac yacht Pyewacket Roy Disney (who, imagine, is the great-nephew of Walt Disney). All nine crew members OEX lifted aboard without injury. That’s good.

PS Pyewacket just returned to Los Angeles.