Raymarine SmartPilot ST6002 Operating Manual page 12

Around 2 135 P DT o n A pril 2 7, t he S POT C onnect t rack s hows t hat A egean
increased i n s peed a nd t hen m aintained a c onstant s peed i n l ight w ind c onditions,
consistent w ith m otoring. T he S ailing I nstructions n ote t hat t he C ruising C lasses c an
engage t heir e ngines a nd m otor b etween t he h ours o f 2 000 a nd 0 800 w ith a p enalty
applied t o t he c orrected t ime o f t he v essel r eporting u se o f t heir m otor d uring t he r ace.
(Refer t o A ppendix 2 – s ection 2 0.) T he S POT t racker d ata a lso s hows t hat t he b oat
travelled i n a n early s traight l ine, c onsistent w ith t he u se o f t he a utopilot. T he p anel
believes t hat A egean w as s teering b y a utopilot f or t hree r easons:
1. The p anel i nterviews r evealed t he s kipper w ould s et h is a utopilot t o s teer
to a w aypoint
2. The t rack i s n early s traight – a rguably b etter t han a h uman c an s teer.
(See A ppendix 2 8)
3. It i s t actically s mart t o u se a n a utopilot w hen m otoring i n t his r ace t o
minimize t he d istance t raveled w hile m otoring.
From t he p osition w here A egean b egan m otoring, t he C oronado I slands w ere a n
obstruction o n t he s hortest c ourse t o t he f inish. I nterviews s uggest t hat A egean's
skipper w ould c reate a w aypoint n orth o f N orth C oronado I sland s o t hat h e c ould d ecide
on w hich s ide o f t he i slands t o p ass.
Had A egean c ontinued o n t he c ourse s hown b y t he S POT C onnect t rack, s he
would h ave p assed o ffshore o f P oint S alsipuedes. ( This i s t he l argest p oint o f l and N orth
of B ahia D e T odos S antos.) T his w ould b e a l ogical p osition t o t urn t o e nter t he b ay t o
get t o E nsenada. I nterview s ubjects i ndicated t hat p ast p ractices w ould n ot h ave b een
to s et a w aypoint s o f ar f rom t he b oat's p osition.
The S POT C onnect t rack e nds a t 0 136 P DT o n A pril 2 8, 2 012, a t N orth C oronado
Island a nd, b ased o n c alculations m ade b y t he p anel, e xtending t he c ourse a nd s peed o f
the v essel f rom p revious S POT l ocations a nd t imes, A egean h it t he I sland a bout 0 134
PDT, o r a bout 2 m inutes b efore t he l ast S POT l ocation t ransmission
The n ext s cheduled S POT t ransmission w ould h ave b een a t 0 146 P DT, b ut i t w as
never r eceived, i ndicating t hat t he d evice w as n ot o perating b y t hat t ime.
Based o n a ll f actors, t he p anel c oncludes t hat t he s kipper s et a w aypoint t hat t ook
Aegean o n a p ath t hat i ntersected N orth C oronado I sland, t hat A egean w as m otoring
under a utopilot a s s he a pproached t he i sland, a nd t here i s n o e vidence o f a ny
intervention t o p revent A egean's r unning i nto t he i sland.
U S S ailing I ndependent R eview P anel – 2 012 N ewport t o E nsenada R ace R eport 12