LACK OF IMPARTIALITY CLAIMSHOME NEWSINDUSTRY NEWS LACK OF IMPARTIALITY CLAIMS09 Aug 2019EmailShareFacebookLinkedInTwitterPrintSimon Speirs died in November 2017INDUSTRY DATABASECLIPPER VENTURES PLCClipper Ventures has called on the Department for Transport to hold an independent inquiry to establish the full extent of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Marine Accident Investigation Branch investigatory teams’ failure of professionalism, impartiality and honesty.The call follows an investigation into the death of Simon Speirs by the organisations.On the November 18 2017, Mr Speirs, a 60-year-old retired solicitor, fell overboard while helping to reduce sail.The yacht, CV30, owned by Clipper Ventures, was participating in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and was experiencing increasing winds and sea state in the Southern Ocean. Mr Speirs was tethered to the boat but fell overboard due to a failure of a tether safety clip. He was recovered but could not be resuscitated. He was buried at sea.Considerable concernThe accident was investigated by both the MCA and MAIB with the conclusions the cause of considerable concern, said Clipper Ventures in a statement.At a meeting between Clipper Ventures and the new MCA CEO the statement continued, “it was revealed that, after a new enquiry into the actions of the MCA Enforcement Official who had initiated and headed up a number of investigations concerning Clipper Ventures, multiple errors and distortions of the truth had been discovered.”These errors, says Clipper Ventures, include the fact that the MCA claimed there was a vessel within 60 miles of the yacht that could have taken the body home for burial which the MAIB has not admitted was not true – the nearest vessel was actually 1500 miles away.Lack of resourcesIn addition, Clipper Ventures says it has carried out all the MAIB’s recommendations except for the MCA inspection which the company says is due to the organisation’s lack of resources. Clipper Ventures therefore has had its systems assessed and approved by two independent auditors.In addition, the failure of the safety tether is being examined by the sailing industry, however, these industry learnings have been diluted by a number of factual errors in the MAIB report, continues Clipper Ventures.The statement concludes: “The MCA and MAIB investigations followed remarkably parallel courses and it has to be suspected that significant and improper influence was applied to the MAIB investigation by the MCA team.“Clipper Ventures has often complained of lack of impartiality at the MAIB, a belief now held more strongly than ever. The safety of its crew is the highest priority for Clipper Ventures and has been since the race was established in 1996.”SHARE THIS ARTICLE

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