A sailor died during a training session on a superyacht in Antigua when part of the rigging system failed and a pulley hit him on the head, an inquest has heard.
Sam Richmond, 37, was a member of the crew on board the 102ft Southern Wind yacht Farfalla when the accident happened on March 8, 2022.
The father-of-two from Southampton had been training for the Superyacht Challenge Antigua, an annual regatta in the Caribbean.
The hearing at Winchester Coroners’ Court was told that a pad eye – a metal securing bolt – failed on the yacht, causing a pulley to swing loose and hit Mr Richmond on the head.
In a statement read to the inquest, skipper Richard Chadburn said: ‘The block exploded into the back of Sam Richmond’s head.
‘Following what happened a mayday call was put out by the yacht, the sails were brought down and first aid was administered.’
The inquest heard that the yacht was motored back to shore where Mr Richmond, who had lost consciousness, was taken to hospital by ambulance.
He was then transferred to Broward Health Medical Centre in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he died two days later.
Paying tribute to Mr Richmond, his widow, Colette, said: ‘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.’
Sam Laidlaw, of yacht owners Red Birdwing, told the inquest: ‘Sam was somebody I had sailed with on boats of various different sizes for over 10 years, he was a great professional and would bring joy and enthusiasm.’
He said that examinations into the accident had found that the cause of the loose block was a failed pad eye.
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.’
He added: ‘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.
‘I hope lessons will be learnt and this will never happen again.’
He added that further checks had been introduced meaning that pad eyes would be inspected and replaced every two years and new, stronger, titanium fittings were also being used.
The inquest, which is listed for two days, continues.