‘Improve safety rules’ call after director cleared of yacht deaths
THE director of a yachting management company has been cleared of the manslaughter of four sailors who died when their yacht, the Cheeki Rafiki, sank mid-atlantic.
The families of the sailors have said maritime rules should be tightened up as a result of the deaths.
Douglas Innes, 43, of Southampton, briefly closed his eyes and mouthed the words “thank you” as the jury at the retrial at Winchester Crown Court returned the not guilty verdicts.
The yacht lost its keel as the crew were returning the 40ft yacht from Antigua to the UK in May 2014 when it got into trouble 1,000 miles from the United States.
Lost at sea were Andrew Bridge, 22, the skipper, from Farnham in Surrey; James Male, 22, from Southampton; Steve Warren, 52; and Paul Goslin, 56, both from Somerset.
Innes, in charge of Stormforce Coaching Limited, his company, is to be sentenced on May 11 after being convicted at the first trial of failing to operate the yacht safely, having contravened the Merchant Shipping Act.
Judge Douglas Field said “all options must remain open” with regard to sentencing. The jury told the judge it was “deeply concerned” about a maritime regulation guidance note and hoped it would be reviewed and tightened to help improve safety.
Nigel Lickley QC, prosecuting, told the court the yacht had an undetected fault with bolts holding the three-ton keel to the hull, which then failed, causing it to fall off during bad weather.
Mr Lickley said the yacht, which had grounded on two earlier occasions, had been “unsafe and unsound” because Innes had “neglected it” by not maintaining it or having it inspected for several years. This Innes denied.
After the hearing, a family spokesman said: “It is clear there is a need to tighten up marine guidance so that the regulations cannot be misinterpreted. This will help to make our seas a safer place, a fitting legacy for our four men.”