Officials said John Fisher was wearing survival equipment when he went overboard from the Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag yacht.

Race Control for the Volvo Ocean Race has been informed by Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag of a man overboard incident on Monday afternoon at approximately 13:42 UTC. More ➡️ https://t.co/JyoDOqZThl pic.twitter.com/UPblJakpa0

Officials said that given the gale force conditions, it is not an option to divert any of the other six yachts, which are at least 200 miles east and downwind of Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag, to assist in the search.

A ship 400 nautical miles away has diverted to the scene. </s> A British crewman taking part in the Volvo Ocean Race has fallen overboard in the inhospitable Southern Ocean 1,400 nautical miles west of Cape Horn.

Officials said John Fisher was wearing survival equipment when he went overboard from the Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag yacht.

The team is searching for Mr Fisher in a strong 35-knot westerly wind, with accompanying sea state.

Water temperature is 9C, and conditions are forecast to deteriorate.

Officials said that given the gale force conditions, it is not an option to divert any of the other six yachts, which are at least 200 miles east and downwind of Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag, to assist in the search.

A ship 400 nautical miles away has diverted to the scene. – PA </s> Volvo Ocean Race officials say a crewman on Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag has fallen overboard in the inhospitable Southern Ocean some 1,400 nautical miles west of Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America.

Officials say the crewman, John Fisher of Britain, was wearing survival equipment when he went overboard Monday.

The team is searching for Fisher in a strong 35-knot westerly, with accompanying sea state. Water temperature is 9-degrees Celsius. Conditions are forecast to deteriorate.

Officials say that given the gale force conditions, it is not an option to divert any of the other six yachts, which are at least 200 miles east and downwind of Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag, to assist in the search.

A ship some 400 nautical miles away has diverted to the scene. </s> A British crewman taking part in the Volvo Ocean Race has fallen overboard in the inhospitable Southern Ocean 1,400 nautical miles west of Cape Horn.

Officials said John Fisher was wearing survival equipment when he went overboard from the Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag yacht.

The team is searching for Mr Fisher in a strong 35-knot westerly wind, with accompanying sea state.

Water temperature is 9C, and conditions are forecast to deteriorate.

We are deeply saddened to hear the news and our thoughts and prayers are with John's family and the crew. John's next of kin have been notified of the situation and further updates will be shared as and when they become available. https://t.co/XMWYNzgs6x — Sun Hung Kai Scallywag (@scallywaghk) March 26, 2018

Officials said that given the gale force conditions, it is not an option to divert any of the other six yachts, which are at least 200 miles east and downwind of Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag, to assist in the search.

A ship 400 nautical miles away has diverted to the scene. </s> A British sailor competing in the Volvo Ocean Race who fell overboard on Monday has now been declared “lost at sea”.

John Fisher, originally from Southampton but resident in Adelaide in Australia, was one of the crew members on Hong Kong challenger Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag.

The 47-year-old went overboard at around 2pm BST on Monday afternoon, 1,400 nautical miles west of Cape Horn in the Southern Ocean. The wind in the area at the time was a strong 35-knot westerly and the water temperature was 9C.

Fisher was on watch and wearing survival gear when he went overboard, race organisers said.

The Scallywag team conducted an “an exhaustive search for several hours in extremely challenging weather conditions” but were unable to recover the yachtsman, according to a statement released by the Volvo Ocean Race on Tuesday morning. </s> A British yachtsman who fell overboard during an around-the-world race is presumed "lost at sea," according to race organizers.

John Fisher, 47, was competing in the Volvo Ocean Race with the team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag when he fell overboard 1,400 miles west of Cape Horn, Chile, on Monday, according to a statement from Volvo Ocean Race president Richard Brisius.

"This morning I am extremely sad to inform you that one of our sailors, John Fisher, from Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag, is now presumed to have been lost at sea," Brisius said in the statement.

The team aboard the 65-foot yacht conducted an "exhaustive" search for several hours, but were unable to find Fisher, according to the statement.

Fisher was competing in the Volvo Ocean Race, a 45,000 nautical mile race around the world, for the first time. The race started in Alicante, Spain, on Oct. 22, and was set to end in Hague, Netherlands, in June.

A ship was diverted to assist Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag with the rescue operation, but was more than a day away from the yacht at the time of Brisius' statement.

"This is heart-breaking for all of us," Brisius said. "As sailors and race organizers losing a crew member at sea is a tragedy we don't ever want to contemplate. We are devastated, and our thoughts are with John’s family, friends and teammates." </s> Position of Scallywag and Volvo Race Fleet - Click image for a larger image

The team, along with the Marine Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), has been conducting a search and rescue operation to recover the missing crew member, John Fisher (UK).

He was wearing survival equipment when he went overboard. The remaining crew are reported safe.

The incident took place approximately 1,400 miles west of Cape Horn. The wind in the search area is a strong 35-knot westerly, with accompanying sea state.

Water temperature is 9-degrees Celsius. There is daylight, but weather conditions are forecast to deteriorate in the coming hours.

Given the gale force conditions it is not an option to divert any of the other six Volvo Ocean Race competitors, who are at least 200 miles further east and downwind of Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag, to assist in the search operation.

The MRCC has identified a ship approximately 400 nautical miles away and it has been diverted to the scene.

We will have more information as it becomes available. </s> Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag during leg seven of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag during leg seven of the Volvo Ocean Race.

DETERIORATING WEATHER FORCED a Volvo Ocean Race yacht to abandon its search for a British crew member washed overboard in the hostile Southern Ocean yesterday, with organisers admitting the man is now “presumed to have been lost at sea”.

John Fisher went missing from the SHK/Scallywag on Monday some 2,250 kilometres (1,400 miles) west of Cape Horn on the tip of South America.

Fisher was on watch and wearing survival gear when he went overboard amid gale force winds and water temperatures estimated at nine degrees celsius.

Scallywag searched the sea for almost 12 hours but failed to find him and was forced to head for land as nightfall descended and conditions worsened.

“This morning I am extremely sad to inform you that one of our sailors, John Fisher, from Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag, is now presumed to have been lost at sea,” Richard Brisius, the President of the Volvo Ocean Race said in a statement.

“This is heart-breaking for all of us. As sailors and race organisers losing a crew member at sea is a tragedy we don’t ever want to contemplate. We are devastated and our thoughts are with John’s family, friends and teammates.”

Organisers also said a ship that was within 400 miles of the accident site was diverted to look for Fisher and Chilean maritime rescue authorities were attempting to contact other vessels for help.

The six other vessels in the Volvo fleet — including Turn The Tide On Plastic featuring Irish Olympian Annalise Murphy — were unable to assist because they were 200 miles downwind and battling severe weather when Fisher went overboard.

The rest of Scallywag’s crew were reported to be safe.

Fisher is an Australian-based Briton who belonged to Christies Sailing Club in Adelaide, which opened its doors Tuesday for his friends to comfort each other.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kirsten, Ryan and Amy. No words can express our sympathy and pain,” the club said in a Facebook post.

The Race fleet set off from Auckland on 18 March on the toughest stretch of the around-the-world epic.

The 14,075 kilometre leg of the race takes the yachts on a three-week voyage across inhospitable waters from New Zealand to Cape Horn and then up South America’s eastern coast to the Brazilian city of Itajai.

The 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race is the longest in the competition’s 44-year history, stretching over eight months and 45,000 nautical miles around the globe and ending in The Hague in the Netherlands in late June.

The race has already been marred by tragedy, when Vestas 11th Hour Racing collided with a trawler on its way to Hong Kong, killing a fisherman.

The last big name in NFL free agency is moving to LA </s> A British sailor is missing after being swept overboard at 11pm on Monday during the Volvo Ocean Race.

John Fisher was wearing survival gear when he fell off the Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag vessel west of Cape Horn, near South America, as the yacht raced from New Zealand to Brazil.

The team, with the help of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, are conducting a search and rescue operation to recover the 47-year-old, according to Volvo Ocean Race.

The wind in the area has been recorded at 35 knots – or 64km/h – and the water is 9C.

'Given the gale force conditions it is not an option to divert any of the other six Volvo Ocean Race competitors, who are at least 200 miles further east and downwind of Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag, to assist in the search operation,' it said in a press release.

'The MRCC has identified a ship approximately 400 nautical miles away and it has been diverted to the scene.'

'Naturally we are deeply concerned, especially given the weather conditions, and Race Control in Alicante is supporting the Scallywag team and MRCC throughout the operation.'

Mr Fisher lives in Adelaide and is a long-time veteran of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, according to the Volvo Ocean Race's website.

The Volvo Ocean Race is 7,600-mile race from Auckland, New Zealand to Itajaí, Brazil.
A British yachtsman falls overboard from Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag. A search and rescue operation launches, with one ship diverting from over 400 nautical miles away.