The 6th Eurosaf Mixed Offshore European Championship, hosted by the Yacht Club Venezia and Marina di Santelena, concluded on Saturday night. The race’s end was preceded by some dramatic moments due to adverse weather conditions, which had characterized the entire week and forced the organizing committee to delay the start for two days. About halfway through the shortened 165 nautical mile course, at around 6 PM, the Organizing Committee received a call on the satellite phone from the Safety Manager, made by Team South Africa. The boat had hit a large wave while Michaela Robinson was below deck retrieving bandages to protect a deep cut on her teammate Liam Gunning's finger.
The “nose diving” of the boat caused a sudden deceleration, which violently threw Michaela against the internal structures, with the impact’s force hitting the right side of her forehead just above the eye.
Given the symptoms reported by the athlete, the safety and rescue system of the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour was immediately activated. A consultation was held with a surgeon from the staff, who confirmed that in cases of suspected concussion accompanied by vomiting, immediate exams are necessary to rule out further complications.
In close and crucial collaboration with the Venice Port Authority, it was decided to dispatch a SAR helicopter from the 15th Wing of the Italian Air Force based in Cervia. The helicopter reached the Figaro3 in about 45 minutes, approximately 30 nautical miles from the coast.
In the meantime, the Venice CP alerted the nearest ship to the athletes, the ECO CATANIA of Italy, which was waiting in the area (and we thank them for their availability) to assist in the rescue. Upon reaching the crew, a rescue operator was lowered near the boat. However, due to heavy rolling and the need to avoid the mast, it was impossible to land on the boat. Michaela had to jump into the water to be lifted onboard the helicopter and transported to the hospital. Meanwhile, Liam, obviously shaken by the ordeal, returned alone to Venice aboard the boat, constantly assisted by the MMNRT staff. He arrived at the Marina di Santelena around 3 AM, where he was helped to safely dock the boat. We extend our sincerest thanks to the Venice Port Authority and the 15th SAR Wing of Cervia for their swift, professional, and compassionate response, the first of its kind in these five years of MMNRT activities. As sailors, we feel safer thanks to all of them.
Fortunately, it was only a severe bruise, and Michaela was discharged from the hospital yesterday afternoon at 4:00 PM.
Meanwhile, the race continued with an incredible head-to-head battle between Team Norway (with Karl Otto Book and Maren Magda Book) and Team Sweden (with Lena Having and Eivind Boymo-Malm), followed in third place by Team Germany (with Fabian Kennis and Melanie Aalburg). The race culminated in a spectacular finish through the entrance channel of Venice’s bay, where the boats arrived separated by just a few hundred meters, finishing in the same order.
It was a tough regatta with challenging weather conditions, gusts over 35 knots, rain, and the first signs of cold, which undoubtedly played to the advantage of the Nordic teams.
Our thanks go to the Yacht Club Venezia, Marina Santelena for hosting us, the Italian Sailing Federation, and last but not least, Eurosaf, represented here by Vice President (and member of the International Jury chaired by Giuseppe D’amico) Pinar Coskuner Genc. The Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour says goodbye for now and will return very soon with the spectacular start of the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa VELOCE in the first weekend of November. This double-handed regatta covers 1,492 nautical miles from Venice to Genoa, and this year’s starting list promises to be even more competitive than previous editions.