# List of fatal accidents in sailboat racing

Oceanic yacht racing is one of the most dangerous sports in the world. It was particularly dangerous in the early days, when oceanic racing was more like early mountain climbing in terms of sense of adventure and achievement. Modern safety and communication equipment has improved safety; however, like any sport in the natural environment, risk is always present. In many races, participants have changed from amateur explorers to professional athletes.

## Deaths during crewed round-the-world races and record attempts

| Race Name | Date | Name | Place | Boat | Description |
| Whitbread / Volvo Ocean Race | 1973–1974 | Paul Waterhouse, Dominique Guillet, Bernie Hosking | Southern Ocean | Tauranga, 33 Export, Great Britain II (respectively) | Each swept overboard (Hosking twice) |
| Whitbread / Volvo Ocean Race | 1989 | Tony Phillips | Southern Ocean | Creighton Naturally | Swept overboard and recovered too late |
| Volvo Ocean Race | 18 May 2006 | Hans Horrevoets (NED) | Off Land's End | ABN Amro Volvo 70 | Washed overboard and recovered |
| Clipper Round the World Yacht Race | 5 Sep 2015 | Andrew Ashman (GBR) | Atlantic Ocean | IchorCoal / Clipper 70 | Head Injury Boom/Mainsheet |
| Clipper Round the World Yacht Race | 1 April 2016 | Sarah Young (GBR) | Pacific Ocean | IchorCoal / Clipper 70 | Swept overboard |
| Clipper Round the World Yacht Race | 18 Nov 2017 | Simon Speirs (GBR) | Indian Ocean | Great Britain / Clipper 70 | Swept overboard |
| Volvo Ocean Race | 26 Mar 2018 | John Fisher (GBR) | Southern Ocean | Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag Volvo Ocean 65 | Swept overboard |

## Deaths during solo round-the-world races and record attempts

| Race Name | Date | Name | Place | Boat | Description |
| BOC Challenge | 1986 | Jacques de Roux (FRA) | Southern Ocean | Skoiern IV |
| Vendée Globe | 1992 | Nigel Burgess (GBR) | Atlantic Ocean | Nigel Burgess Yachts | |
| Vendée Globe | 1992 | Mike Plant (USA) | Atlantic Ocean | Coyote | Lost at sea prior to departure |
| Vendée Globe | 1997 | Gerry Roufs (CAN) | Southern Ocean | Groupe LG 2 | |

## Deaths during offshore races

| Race Name | Host Club | Date | Name | Place | Boat | Description |
| 1976 OSTAR | Royal Western Yacht Club | June 1976 | Mike Flanagan (USA) | Atlantic Ocean | Galloping Gael | 38 ft Monohull; Sailor and Boat Lost at Sea |
| 1976 OSTAR | Royal Western Yacht Club | June 1976 | Mike McMullen (GBR) | Atlantic Ocean | Three Cheers | Sailor and Boat Lost at Sea |
| 1978 Route du Rhum | | 16 November 1978 | Alain Colas | Azores | Manureva | Unknown |
| 1979 Fastnet race | Royal Ocean Racing Club | 14 August 1979 | 15 competitors and 6 observers | Celtic Sea | | |
| 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race | Cruising Yacht Club of Australia | 27 December 1998 | Phillip Charles Skeggs, Bruce Raymond Guy | | Business Post Naiad | drowned heart attack |
| 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race | Cruising Yacht Club of Australia | 28 December 1998 | John Dean, James Lawler, Michael Bannister | | Winston Churchill | all drowned |
| 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race | Cruising Yacht Club of Australia | 27 December 1998 | Glyn Charles (GBR) | | Sword of Orion | |
| Doublehanded Farallones Race | | 27 March 1999 | Harvey Shlasky (USA), 51 | | White Lightning, J/29 | |
| Transat Jacques Vabre | | 21 October 1999 | Paul Vatine (FRA), 42 | | ORMA 60 | Boat Capsized Paul was ondeck and lost other crew member was below deck |
| Doublehanded Lightship Race | Island Yacht Club of Alameda | 16 March 2008 | Matthew Gale (USA), 68 Anthony Harrow (USA), 72 | | Daisy, Cheoy Lee Offshore 31 | |
| Cowes-Cherbourg Race | Royal Ocean Racing Club | 17 June 2011 | Chris Reddish (GBR), 46 | | Lion, Reflex 38 | |
| Chicago-Mackinac Race | Chicago Yacht Club | 17 July 2011 | Mark Morley (USA), 51 Suzanne Bickel (USA), 41 | | WingNuts, Kiwi 35 | head injuries during capsize |
| Farallones Race | San Francisco Yacht Club | 14 April 2012 | Alexis Busch (USA) Jordan Fromm (USA) Alan Cahill (USA) Elmer Morrissey (IRL) Marc Kasanin (USA) | | Low Speed Chase, Sydney 38 | Capsize killed 5 from crew of 8, near a rocky coast. |
| Newport (Calif.) to Ensenada (Mexico) yacht race | | 28 April 2012 | Theo Mavromatis (USA), 49  Kevin Eric Rudolph (USA), 53  William Reed Johnson Jr. (USA), 57  Joseph Lester Stewart (USA), 64 | | Aegean, Hunter 376 | nighttime crash into a rocky island |
| Islands Race | Newport Harbor and San Diego Yacht Club | 9 March 2013 | Craig Thomas Williams (USA), 36 | | Uncontrollable Urge, Columbia 32 Carbon | |
| Chicago-Mackinac Race | Chicago Yacht Club | 21 July 2018 | Jon Santarelli (USA), 53 | | Imedi, TP52 | overboard resulting from wave strike |
| 2024 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race | Cruising Yacht Club of Australia | 26 December 2024 | Roy Quaden (AUS), 55 | | Flying Fish Arctos | hit by boom |
| 2024 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race | Cruising Yacht Club of Australia | 26 December 2024 | Nick Smith (AUS), 65 | | Bowline | hit by mainsheet |

## Deaths during yacht races

| Race Name | Host Club | Date | Name | Place | Boat | Description |
| Big Boat Series | St. Francis Yacht Club | 18 September 1994 | Larry Klein (USA), 42 | San Francisco | Twin Flyer, 38 foot sloop | |
| Commodore Perry Race | North Cape Yacht Club | 3 June 2007 | Bruce Goldsmith (USA), 71 | Lake Erie | J/29 | Boom head injury |
| America's Cup Testing | Golden Gate Yacht Club | 9 May 2013 | Andrew Simpson (GBR) | San Francisco | Artemis Racing, AC72, Boat 1 | Entrapped after the boat broke apart and capsized. |
| Antigua Superyacht | | 8 March 2022 | Sam Richmond (GBR), 38 | Antigua | 102 ft S/Y Farfalla | Training incident with rigging failure causing a head Injury |