Is the yacht safe? Where are the crew?
Durban (South Africa):
It's considered South Africa's worst yachting tragedy. Winds of up to 100km/h and waves 10m high hit a 29 strong fleet participating in the Wilbur Ellis Da Gama yacht race from Durban to East London in 1984.
One yacht, the Rubicon, with a five-man crew, was last seen off the Wild Coast. In the wake of the storm it was lost at sea and never seen again.
Extensive searches were conducted but nothing was found - no wreckage, no debris, no bodies, no clue of what could have happened to it, despite many unsubstantiated theories.
The disaster remains an unsolved mystery
.Today, 21 years later, another mysterious sea tragedy has gripped the nation.
Six Durban sailors, competing in the Mauritius to Durban race, have gone missing en route to Durban.
It's been two weeks and despite intensive searches neither the crew nor any trace of the yacht Moquini have been found. Numerous searches covering thousands of nautical miles have found nothing and the airforce have called off their search.Then a private fund was launched and money poured in from all corners of the country in an effort to find the ill-fated sailors, but with no success.
The private search has now also been called off but speculation is rife about what happened to the yacht.Is the yacht safe? Where are the crew? Did they have time to get on a life raft? Nobody seems to have any answers.
Oct 1, 2005
Tash Reddy, Independent on Saturday , South Africa
Durban (South Africa):
It's considered South Africa's worst yachting tragedy. Winds of up to 100km/h and waves 10m high hit a 29 strong fleet participating in the Wilbur Ellis Da Gama yacht race from Durban to East London in 1984.
One yacht, the Rubicon, with a five-man crew, was last seen off the Wild Coast. In the wake of the storm it was lost at sea and never seen again.
Extensive searches were conducted but nothing was found - no wreckage, no debris, no bodies, no clue of what could have happened to it, despite many unsubstantiated theories.
The disaster remains an unsolved mystery
.Today, 21 years later, another mysterious sea tragedy has gripped the nation.
Six Durban sailors, competing in the Mauritius to Durban race, have gone missing en route to Durban.
It's been two weeks and despite intensive searches neither the crew nor any trace of the yacht Moquini have been found. Numerous searches covering thousands of nautical miles have found nothing and the airforce have called off their search.Then a private fund was launched and money poured in from all corners of the country in an effort to find the ill-fated sailors, but with no success.
The private search has now also been called off but speculation is rife about what happened to the yacht.Is the yacht safe? Where are the crew? Did they have time to get on a life raft? Nobody seems to have any answers.
Oct 1, 2005
Tash Reddy, Independent on Saturday , South Africa
