Waves overrun yacht; 1 dead, 4 missing
One sailor died and four others were missing at sea after a powerful wave swept them from their yacht during a 60-mile round-trip race off San Francisco’s coast, the Coast Guard said Sunday. Three other crewmembers were rescued.
The 38-foot Low Speed Chase was competing Saturday in the race from San Francisco Bay around the Farallon Islands. Seas were rough, with waves running high at about 10 feet, when the vessel was hit by a larger wave that washed some of the crewmembers overboard, Coast Guard Petty Officer Levi Read said.
It was the first known fatality in the 143-year history of the San Francisco Yacht Club, which managed the race for the Offshore Yacht Racing Association, club director Ed Lynch said.