Irish Yacht Abandoned on Indonesian Reef

Jakarta Globe 18 Jan 10;

An Irish racing yacht that struck the Gosong Mampango reef will stay there, reports said on Monday.

The 20-meter, 31-ton Cork Clipper was one of 10 yachts taking part in a round-the-world race when it hit the submerged reef off Kalimantan’s west coast early on Thursday morning.

The 16-person crew, hailing from Britain, Ireland, Australia and China, used lifeboats to get to nearby rocks where they were rescued by other racing boats, the Press Association reported.

Marine surveyors and salvage experts have determined the vessel is too badly damaged to be floated off the reef.

“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,” race organizer Robin Knox Johnston said.

“This is the first loss Clipper has experienced in seven races,” he said. “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.”

The Web site Sail-World.com criticized the decision, pointing out that there was “no responsibility taken for the fact” that local residents “did not ask for more plastic to be left on their pristine reefs.”

“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?” Sail-World’s Des Ryan wrote.