For National Safe Boating Week (May 17-23) we’re revisiting some of the best safety stories, recommendations, and gear from our sister publications. Today, Power & Motoryacht’s podcast episode with SAIL managing editor Lydia Mullan discussing the sinking of Alliance and key takeaways from the rescue.
Managing Editor of SAIL magazine Lydia Mullan entered her first Newport to Bermuda race to report on the event and bolster her offshore-racing resume. She quickly went from reporting on a story to being IN the story when the boat she was on collided with submerged debris and began sinking. And that’s just where her epic tale begins. Join Power & Motoryacht Editor-in-Chief Dan Harding as he hears about her harrowing experience and the lessons all boaters can learn from it.
Click here to listen to the episode.
In the months after the sinking, there were many conversations about the incident and its takeaways. From its onset, the J/122 Alliance program was designed for learning. It created opportunities for talented young sailors to participate in offshore races alongside veterans. In the wake of her sinking, boat owners Mary Martin and Eric Irwin, along with crewmembers from Ceilidh, the boat that rescued Alliance’s crew, share the program’s final lessons. This article was awarded second place in the seamanship category of this year’s Boating Writers International annual awards.
To read the full story, click here.
And finally, for Lydia’s first-person account of the disaster, click here.
This story was recognized as the marine industry’s best adventure essay of 2024 by BWI, making Mullan the back-to-back winner in this category.
For more information and resources relating to National Safe Boating week, click here.
