Shockwave (2000 yacht)

Shockwave was a 24.4m sail racing yacht built in 2000. At the time of her construction she was the biggest racing yacht in the world. Designed by United States naval architects Reichel/Pugh, the yacht, including the hull, rudder, mast and boom, mainsail and headsails, was made of carbon fibre.[1]

Designer(s)	Reichel/Pugh
Launched	2000
Owner(s)	Neville Crichton Andrew Short
Fate	Sunk in 2009.
Specifications
Length	24.4 m (80 ft)

On 10 October 2009, at around 2.30am, while taking part in the annual Flinders Islet Race, she apparently grounded near Flinders Islet, New South Wales, Australia during moderate weather (though at a time of heavy 2.3m high swells). Despite multi-hour rescue operations that enabled 16 crew members to be taken to safety by helicopter from the islet where most had taken refuge, two - the owner, Andrew Short, and the navigator Sally Gordon - died from injuries or hypothermia. The two, as well as a third person Andrew's son Nicholas Short who was recovered alive, have been reported as having been swept overboard by the boom of the yacht after it hit the rocks. Andrew Short had only recently purchased the yacht from original owner New Zealander millionaire Neville Crichton, but he and his crew were described as having been very experienced.[1][2]

Approximate Position 34.4572°S 150.9310°E

External links

• CYCA Internal Report (PDF, 4.1MB)

References

1. Rushworth, Anna (11 October 2009). "Two die in sailing wreck". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
2. "Yacht catastrophe a mystery". Stuff.co.nz. 11 October 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2011.