High winds, waves wreak havoc at annual Camellia Cup Regatta         

Coast Guard Auxiliary crews rescue four people after sailboats capsize     

[April 16, 2007]  SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Coast Guard Auxiliary crews rescued four people from the chilly waters of Folsom Lake on Sunday, after several sailboats capsized in high winds and turbulent seas during the annual Camellia Cup Regatta.

In addition, several vessels suffered damage to their rudders, masts and sails and had to be towed back to shore. Winds were steady at 25-30 mph, with gusts of up to 45 miles per hour. Wind-whipped waves were between 3 and 5 feet high, making navigation for many of the participating vessels extremely hazardous.

Day two of the race commenced at 10:30 a.m., with winds at 15-20 mph, which normally makes for great sailing conditions. Shortly after the race began, though, winds accelerated, and at least four vessels capsized, throwing their crews into the chilly 57-degree waters.

"The weather just got plain nasty," said Cal Faulkner, vice flotilla commander of Elk Grove Flotilla 3-10, who participated in one of the rescues. "It is amazing that no one got seriously injured or drowned under these conditions."

"It is not abnormal for sailboats, especially the smaller ones, to capsize during these types of races," said Leanne Sweeney, division captain for the greater Sacramento area Coast Guard Auxiliary, who along with Faulkner, participated in one of the rescues. "But these conditions made it nearly impossible for those who did capsize to right their vessels and even get out of the water safely without assistance."

Don Enos, who also participated in one of the rescues, is a veteran of these races, patrolling them for the auxiliary for the past 10 years or so. "These were the most extreme conditions I've witnessed in all the years I've patrolled this event," Enos said.

Race officials quickly canceled the races shortly after the multiple capsizings occurred.

After securing the disabled vessels and returning the capsizing victims to shore, the Coast Guard Auxiliary vessels made a sweep of the area to ensure no one else had been left out in the treacherous winds and seas.

Some of the victims of the capsizing exhibited minor signs of hypothermia and were treated onboard by the Coast Guard Auxiliary crews. All of the victims refused treatment by emergency medical personnel.

Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel 191048 approaches a partially capsized sailboat, as auxiliary vessel 181170 (not shown) tries to right the sailboat. Eventually both men had to be rescued from the water, as they were exhibiting signs of hypothermia.

Auxiliary vessel 221045 tows in a disabled sailboat after it capsized and dumped its crew into the chilly waters of Folsom Lake.

[Text from news release received from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary]