Yacht overturns off NSW, two dead

Police have named the two victims of a yachting accident off the NSW south coast.
Experienced sailors Sally Gordon, 47, of Darling Point, and Andrew Short, 48, of The
Spit, were pulled unconscious from the water early on Saturday morning, but couldn't
be revived, police said.
Their yacht, Shock Wave, sponsored by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, crashed into rocks off
Flinders Islet and ran aground at about 3am (AEDT).
The 16 surviving crew members were rescued and taken to Wollongong hospital
suffering minor injuries and hypothermia.
The yacht carrying 18 people hit rocks at Flinders Islet off Port Kembla early on
Saturday during a race from Sydney to the island and back, police said.
A police and emergency services rescue began shortly after 3am (AEDT) on Saturday
after authorities received a number of distress calls about the 24.4 metre yacht
PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
A 46-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman died after they were pulled from the water
by crews from Sydney yachts Ragamuffin and Quest, now moored at Wollongong Harbour.
Fifteen survivors managed to make it onto the island and were later winched to
safety by helicopter during the three-hour rescue operation, police said.
They were taken to Wollongong Hospital suffering a range of minor injuries and
hypothermia, while a 14-year-old boy sustained burns to his hands, Ambulance Service
of NSW said.
Another man was pulled from the water by water police and his condition is unknown.
The 92 nautical-mile Flinders Islet Race started off Point Piper on Sydney Harbour
at 8pm (AEDT) on Friday.
The yacht ran aground about seven hours into the journey, and activated a series of
red flares about 2.55am (AEDT) on Saturday, which were noticed by competing vessels.
Race organisers, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), said the Australian
Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) - which sent a rescue helicopter - and Wollongong
water police were alerted and began searching the area.
Ragamuffin and Quest went to help the PriceWaterhouseCoopers' crew, CYCA said in a
statement.
Sydney yacht Yendys also detoured to help their competitors.
Navigator Will Oxley said the crew of Yendys saw three flares as they were
approaching the island.
"We saw torchlight in the water too and people on (Flinders) Islet. We knew
something was wrong, so we tacked towards them to see if we could give assistance,"
he said in a statement.
"Ragamuffin and Quest were there too. (The yacht) Loki (Stephen Ainsworth, of CYCA)
had rounded the Islet and was six miles away, but radioed to see if they could
help."
Detective Superintendent Mark Hutchings said the rescue mission was extremely
difficult.
"Waves were about 2.3 metres, the sea was sloppy, but the wind was quite calm," he
said.
"I want to thank everyone involved in what was an extremely difficult rescue mission
that was handled very professionally."
Investigations are continuing and Maritime Area Command police are preparing a
report for the coroner.