Sailor swept to his death ‘had safety tether on’
A RETIRED lawyer who paid £45,000 to take part in a round the world yacht race has died after being swept overboard as he helped change a sail.
Simon Speirs, 60, became separated from the 70ft boat despite being attached to it by a safety tether, which appeared to fail when he was washed into the sea.
At the time, the crew were battling to maintain their course between South Africa and Australia when they encountered a force eight gale.
Mr Speirs went overboard while on the foredeck of the ocean racer on the sixth day of the leg of the Clipper Round the World Race as he assisted with a headsail change aboard the yacht Great Britain.
Despite being hauled back on board within 36 minutes and being administered CPR, he never regained consciousness. He is the third sailor to die during the gruelling challenge in the past two years.
Last night, his family said in a statement that his safety harness had appeared to fail. They said: “He died doing what he loved and had dreamt of doing for so long.”
Mr Speirs, a retired property solicitor from Bristol, was one of six crew members on board who are completing an entire circumnavigation of the world. A keen charity fundraiser, his love for sailing stemmed from following the exploits of celebrated yachtsmen Sir Francis Chichester, Sir Robin Knox-johnston and Sir Chay Blyth. Less than a fortnight ago, he wrote a blog about his “amazing” experience. He said: “So, am I having fun? Yes, I think so, although it is very hard work and not as unalloyed pleasure as my armchair anticipation hoped for. That said, it is an amazing experience and one that one could never experience in any other way.”
He also wrote that he “never had any doubts” about his safety. Sir Robin, who co-founded the race, said: “All we know is that he was tethered on and that something has gone wrong.” Father-of-three Mr Speirs, a sailor with 40 years’ experience, was given a sea burial on Sunday as requested by his family. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) is investigating.
The race, which was founded more than two decades ago, had a sound safety record. But in Sept 2015, Andrew Ashman, 49, a British amateur sailor, died after being hit by a rope. Last year, Sarah Young, 40, a company director, died when she was swept overboard while not clipped on. The MAIB said both failed to follow basic training advice.