LIFE doesn’t always go to plan as this crew on a catamaran in the sea off the Isle of Wight found out.

The dramatic photograph was taken by the Examiner’s Head Of Features, Val Javin, who was watching the famous annual sailing event off the Isle Of Wight. Cowes Week is the world’s premier sailing regatta with almost 1,000 yachts and 8,000 competitors taking part.

Val said: “The races have it all, danger, speed and skill with high-speed, chess-like manoeuvres played out over a tight course dogged by high tides and gusting winds. It’s like Formula One on water, yacht racing in a stadium. It has enough drama for anyone.’’

Catamarans usually have two hulls. Larger Catamarans make good cruising and long distance boats and the round the world race in 2001 was won by the giant catamaran, Club Med, skippered by Grant Dalton from New Zealand. It went round the world in 62 days at an average speed of eighteen knots.

During this year’s Cowes Week, a supertanker was in a collision with a racing yacht that was then dismasted after its sail was snagged by the ship’s anchor.

The Marine Knutsen supertanker was on its way into Southampton docks and was making its presence known by repeatedly sounding its horn. But one yacht didn’t seem to give itself enough time to clear the massive boat and was hit before having its mast and rigging ripped off when one of its sails got caught in the supertanker’s anchor.

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