Volvo Ocean Race: Scallywag crew member Fisher lost at sea

World
Europe

In water sports, it's a difficult time for team Scallywag in the Volvo Ocean Race. Monday, sailor John Fisher fell overboard and is reported lost at sea following an extensive search by his crew which covered 14-hundred nautical miles. Now, the yacht is making its way towards Chile, which is the nearest land, while the other six continue to Cape Horn to complete leg seven.

They include team MAPFRE who were forced to suspend their race for twelve hours due to a technical fault with the mast track and mainsail. Meanwhile, a timeline of events carried out by Fisher's crew concludes the 47-year-old was hit by the mainsheet system and was already unconscious by the time he hit the water.

A statement released by Volvo Ocean Race organizers read, "Given the cold water temperature and the extreme sea state, along with the time that has now passed since he went overboard, we must now presume that John has been lost at sea."

Team MAPFRE skipper Xabi Fernandez said its been a difficult period for the sport and the crews completing, but now is not the time to reflect on the bad news as they try and catch Dongfeng and Vestus for a first event title.