S.V. Cynthia Woods
 A photo of the crew of the S.V. Cynthis Woods before their departure in the 2008 Regata de Amigos. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name: | S.V. Cynthia Woods |
| Builder: | Cape Fear Yacht Works |
| Fate: | Capsized June 6, 2008 in the Gulf of Mexico killing 1 crew member, the safety officer on board. |
| Status: | Total constructive Loss, Salvaged |
| General characteristics | |
| Length: | 38' |
| Beam: | 11' |
| Draft: | 7' 2" |
| Propulsion: | Sail, engine |
The S.V. Cynthia Woods was a sailing vessel owned by Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG) and used by The TAMUG Sailing Team. It was manufactured in 2005 and donated to TAMUG by billionaire philanthropist and Texas A&M University graduate George P. Mitchell.[1] The Cynthia Woods was named for his wife Cynthia Woods Mitchell.
2008 accident
On June 6, 2008, the Cynthia Woods set sail in the Regatta de Amigos with a 6-person crew consisting of the captain (a university employee), four sailing team members (TAMUG students), and one safety officer who was a volunteer. The race started in Galveston, Texas at 2:00 p.m. local time. The race finish was in Veracruz, Mexico.[2]
The boat is believed to have lost its keel in rough seas during the night.[3] The boat was equipped with two transponders: a main one attached to the boat and a potable one provided by race officials for monitoring. The main transponder stopped working around midnight on June 6 and the portable stopped working around 9:00 a.m. the next morning.[2] The crew missed their scheduled 8:00 a.m. check-in call on June 7.[4]
Safety officer Roger Stone woke up the crew down below and got them out of the boat before it sank, but he did not make it. A capsized sailboat matching the description of the missing 38-foot boat was spotted by a Coast Guard plane at 5:15 p.m.[3] and those who did escape stayed afloat using four life vests in four-to-six-foot seas for 26 hours before being found by a coast guard plane and subsequently rescued.[2] The survivors were lifted to safety by helicopter at around 1:00 a.m. on June 8 and flown to a hospital in Galveston for treatment.[3]
References
- ↑ Suayan, John (March 2, 2010). "Mitchell company settles wrongful death suit from capsizal of 'Cynthia Woods'". The Southeast Texas Record. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- 1 2 3 Rice, Harvey (June 7, 2008). "Sailor missing after A&M boat capsizes dies 'a hero'". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
- 1 2 3 "5 of 6 missing sailors rescued from Gulf". CNN. June 8, 2008. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
- ↑ Strong, Andrew L.; Smock, Catherine A. (July 17, 2009). "Final Investigation Report on the S/V Cynthia Woods" (pdf). The Office of General Counsel and the Internal Audit Department of The Texas A&M University System. p. 1. Retrieved April 28, 2015.