A casual afternoon on the water ended in tragedy for a young sailor and his mate, when their Flying 11 capsized on Lake Macquarie this week.

After being rushed to hospital in a critical condition, the 11 year old boy later died when his life support was turned off, but it’s still not known what happened.

Conditions were ideal, with light winds perfect for the two place dinghy. Sailed all around Australia, the Flying 11 is commonly a stepping-stone for teenage sailors as they transition from Sabot’s and Optimists, before moving up to faster dinghys like the 29’er. With no trapeze, automatic spinnaker pole and ‘rocket tubes’ to drain water from the hull quickly, the Flying 11 is considered one of the safest and easiest to sail dinghys for kids.

Police interviewed several witnesses on the Lake, including the 11yr old friend who was crewing on the same dinghy. It’s not known which of the boys was the skipper, and until the coroner releases a statement, we can’t know for sure what really happened.

Hopefully this tragic accident won’t affect the future of kids sailing in Australia, but it’s certainly a sad day for anyone who’s experienced the joy of watching two young kids go sailing.

#News #Sailing