Alliance passing Castle Hill shortly after its start of the 2024 Newport Bermuda Race on June 21, 2024. Quentin Leo photo
Ceilidh passing Castle Hill shortly after its start of the 2024 Newport Bermuda Race. Quentin Leo photo


YouTube interview summary of the sinking of Alliance and rescue of its crew:
  • Sunday, June 23, 2024 while racing at night in the Gulf Stream crew onboard Alliance heard two loud sounds in quick succession. In that moment, they thought the mast had come down.
  • Soon the on deck watch said they had no steering.
  • Massive structural damage around the rudder post was observed.
  • Water ingress was significant. A 1000 gpm electric pump was deployed but it could not keep up with the inflow. A second pump, a 3000 gpm electric pump was deployed. Two pumps together could not keep up with the water ingress.
  • Alliance's navigator and the skipper said the two loud sounds are now suspected to have come from 1.) the keel impacting a partially submerged shipping container, followed immediately by 2.) the rudder impacting the container which caused the structural damage resulting in the sinking of Alliance.
  • Ceilidh also racing 3 miles away, received Alliance's Mayday call, turned around and sailed upwind to reach the foundering yacht within approximately 30 minutes.
  • Excellent leadership and crew training, plus the quick and skilled response by yacht Ceilidh are key factors in the successful rescue of the 9 Alliance crew.