I guess one could be sunk-

[rbgarr]

but I imagine a lot of things have to go wrong all at once if you're going to turtle your J 24.

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/05/j24sink/

[John Bell]

Note to self: Close the companionway BEFORE the broach, not after!

How many J24s have sunk in races over the years? More than few, methinks.

[Pete Dorr]

It appears they are not wearing life vests.

Racing in those conditions would warrent that I think.

Pete

[Dan McCosh]

The first time I saw a keel boat sink it was a J24. At the time, I thought that a smallish, self-draining cockpit and stability made most keelboats more or less unsinkable, even in a knockdown, and the "extreme" shape and layout of the J24 was dangerous. Such events are commonplace today.

[MarkC]

A lot more Etchells sailing around on the bottom than J24s.

Probably some Ynglings too.

On the J24 you need the wash-boards out to play with the spinnaker. No way you are able to get the wash-boards back in in time.

I have walked along a J24 mast to uncleat the spinnaker when it was horizontal once...he,he,he

[bamamick]

A lot of controversy over this this week. According to people who were there, the guys on the boat had on vests, and their lazarettes were shackled closed (another common cause of J's sinking). Don't know about the companionway hatch, but as mentioned, if you are flying the kite it's probably open.

The 35 knot puff that went through the fleet caused total chaos, as you can see from the pictures. I think that there were two other boats that almost went completely over, and there were as many wipeouts as there were boats.

Now the debate starts. What could have been done differently, if anything? I am assuming that since this was their NA's that everyone there was a talented sailor. Other than a little heavy-weather orientation by the PRO at the skipper's meeting what else could they have done? As we talked about a couple of weeks ago, pushing the boat hard is part of racing. There are many times when you are on the edge. This time the big puff took them right on over it.

Mickey Lake