Two sailors rescued after collision with tanker in Cowes Week + Video

10:44 PM Sun 7 Aug 2011 GMT

'A racing vessel collides with the 124,000-ton Hanne Knutsen Cowes Week - 7 August 2011'

Two sailors had to be rescued from the water at Cowes Week sailing regatta after their yacht collided with an oil tanker,

Jason Copping reports in the Telegraph, UK:

The first day of racing in Cowes Week was disrupted on Saturday when the 124,000-ton Hanne Knutsen encountered a fleet of yachts.

One of the racing vessels, Atalanta, was in collision with the 870ft-long Norwegian-owned tanker as it proceeded to the oil refinery at Fawley, near Southampton.

The yacht, which normally has nine crew members on board, became entangled in the larger vessel's anchor and had its sails torn off and mast snapped.

The force of the collision sent two of its crew overboard. They were picked up by a rescue boat and a coastguard patrol boat from Southampton.

One crew member was taken to St Mary's Hospital on the Isle of Wight and treated for a head injury. Organisers said the regatta would continue as normal.

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