The Ocean Race Sprint’s fleet had a bad encounter with killer whales on Thursday, west of Gibraltar.
The orcas scared the crews of Team JAJO and Mirpuri Trifork Racing, who were on VO65 yachts competing in The Ocean Race Sprint, despite the fact that neither the boats nor any injuries were sustained.
The specifics of the attack were made public by Jelmer van Beek, Team JAJO’s captain.
“Three orcas swam straight at us and began pounding on the rudder. Although it was a dangerous time for us, seeing killer whales, which are stunning animals, was impressive. As soon as we could, we slowed down and lowered our sails. Fortunately, they continued after a few attacks. “It was a frightening time,” Van Beek stated.
The assault occurred on Thursday around 14:50 in the Atlantic Sea west of Gibraltar. Killer whale attacks, in which a single orca or a whole school strikes and bites the rudder, are common in these waters. Ships can suffer significant damage to the point where they almost sink.
The race participants were fortunate in that the killer whale attack was brief and did not have any lasting effects if the fear was ignored.