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Sword of Orion—Out of Control

Tension had been building all day on Sword of Orion. Some time before 12 noon on Sunday, December 27, Steve Kulmar confronted owner-skipper Rob Kothe and said in no uncertain terms that conditions were unlike anything he had ever seen in all his sailing experience. Gusts of over 80 knots were hitting them on a regular basis, and Kulmar was concerned about the safety of the crew. He was convinced they should retire.1 In fact, Kulmar thought they should have turned around much earlier—at 9 a.m. But Kothe resisted, saying “We need to wait until the twelve o'clock official radio broadcast.” Kulmar wasn't happy, but ...

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