In association with Admiral Boat Insurance, Yachting Monthly created a series of potential disasters to find out if all the theories of how to deal with such situations actually work in practice. The boat used in the crash test is Admiral’s own 1982 Jeanneau Sun Fizz ketch, Fizzical.
Enlisting the help of the Royal Navy’s Fleet Explosives experts, the Crash Test Team embarked on the most technically challenging trial in the Yachting Monthly Crash Test Boat series in conjunction with Admiral. The site chosen for the test was off Bembridge Ledge, at the eastern end of the Isle of Wight, where the yacht was anchored in 8m and a 200m exclusion zone was set up under the watchful eye of the Queen’s Harbourmaster at Portsmouth… see what happened below.
The Crash Test Boat, finally met all but her grisly end when she was subjected to a gas explosion which blew off her coach roof.
The explosion took place off Bembridge Ledge in the Solent in September and was carefully planned. The Royal Navy’s Fleet explosives experts were called in, plus an expert on gas installations. A 200m exclusion zone was set up under the watchful eye of the QHM Portsmouth. The gas was dispersed throughout the yacht’s cabin mixing with air. The explosion was detonated by a wireless remote trigger from the Navy’s RIB, and according to the Yachting Monthly report there was “a brief orange fireball” followed by the explosion which sent hundreds of pieces of GRP into the air. There was a fatality…. the onboard Crash Test Dummy had lost his leg.
The boat is being recycled. The hull of the yacht is being delivered to the International Boatbuilding Training College in Lowestoft where students will practice their skills on her. Before it is submitted to the young would-be boat builders of Lowestoft, the Crash Test Boat will be exhibited at the Excel London Boat Show from 6th – 15th January 2012.
“Often, the first natural human instinct when an emergency or disaster strikes is panic. In a series of controlled experiments, the Yachting Monthly crew put theory to the test by re-enacting some typical worst-case scenario sailing accidents or emergencies – such as grounding, capsize and mast failure. Risk assessment and careful consultation with experts was at the core of all tests. How often are incidents like this photographed and filmed in detail? By sharing their findings in a series of articles, I could see how yachtsmen could learn much invaluable information. Admiral bought Fizzical in November 2010 and the project was born. Why not learn from our mistakes by following her story so you can avoid making your own?”