The annual Full Crew Farallones Race was this year marked by a tragedy. In fact, throughout the whole year numerous tragic events have taken place when it comes to sailing competitions. This is why specialists have already named 2012 as one of the most dangerous years for sailing. The Full Crew Farallones Race is an annual event which has been held since 1907. One of the most dangerous parts of the race includes a turning point of the Farallon Islands, but despite the fact the Golden Gate Bridge is known as the Devil’s teeth, no unfortunate or tragic events have taken place here, at least until now.
In 2012, many racers have signed in to participate at this sailing competition. Low Speed Chase was one of them, but even though the boat started the race, it never finished it. Due to the powerful wind and the weather conditions that seem to have worsened during the race, the boat flipped and the whole crew felt into the waters, right at the dangerous turning point. Only three of the eight crew members were saved, being still alive, while one body has already been found. Unfortunately, there are still four racers from Low Speed Chase which have not been found yet, being lost into the waters. Even though this is one of the most recent sailing tragedies, it surely is not the only one.
Sailing accidents have actually began to raise concern among both sailing racers and organizers. However, specialists say that risk has always been an important part of sailing. Every little thing and decision can become a huge or even tragic event when sailing. The weather conditions are a determinant factor in sailing, too, but professional sailors need to be skilled enough to handle their boats no matter how the weather evolves. And the reality is that this is not the only accident which has taken place around the San Francisco Bay. The first event of this kind dates back to 1982, when eight sailors died in this area while attending a sailing competition. And naturally this is just one out of many such events that can be traced in the history of this exciting sport.
