Sailor suffered fatal head injury on superyacht

Sam Richmond had been part of a crew training in Antigua

A professional sailor suffered a fatal head injury on a superyacht in Antigua when he was hit by a pulley after part of the rigging failed, an inquest has heard.

Sam Richmond, 37, from Southampton, was with a crew training for the Superyacht Challenge Antigua on 8 March 2022.

The hearing in Winchester was told a pad eye - a type of bolt - on board the 102ft Southern Wind yacht Farfalla had failed, causing a block - or pulley - to swing loose.

The block hit Mr Richmond, knocking him unconscious. He died in hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, two days later.

In a statement read to the inquest, skipper Richard Chadburn said: "The block exploded into the back of Sam Richmond's head."

He said a mayday call was issued, the sails brought down and first aid administered.

The inquest heard that the yacht was motored back to shore where Mr Richmond was taken to hospital by ambulance before being transferred to Broward Health Medical Centre in Fort Lauderdale.

Sam Laidlaw, of yacht owners Red Birdwing, told the inquest he had sailed with Mr Richmond for more than 10 years, describing him as "a great professional" who would "bring joy and enthusiasm".

Referring to the failed component, Mr Laidlaw said: "The pad eye is genuinely thought to be solid, it's a very solid piece of metal, you would expect the rigging to fail or training blocks to fail but you wouldn't expect the pad eye to be the weak link.

"I hope lessons will be learnt about rigging design and boat design, there have been modifications to more recent boats which hopefully will prevent this from happening."

He said further checks had been introduced to inspect pad eyes and replace them every two years and that new, stronger titanium fittings were also being used.

Paying tribute, Mr Richmond's widow, Colette, told the inquest: "He loved life, he lived every day to the fullest, he was very fortunate to do what he enjoyed most for his living.

"Sailing was a massive part of his life, he had built a wonderful life for himself."

She added: "He is hugely missed and he is hugely remembered."

The inquest, listed for two days, continues.