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| Bristol sailor dies in Clipper Round the World Race | Bristol sailor dies in Clipper Round the World Race |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A sailor has died after being swept overboard in a "tragic" accident during an international yacht race. | |
| Simon Speirs, 60, from Bristol, was taking part in the Clipper Round the World Race leg from South Africa to Australia. | Simon Speirs, 60, from Bristol, was taking part in the Clipper Round the World Race leg from South Africa to Australia. |
| Organisers said the retired solicitor, who was wearing a life jacket, was washed over the side during gale force winds on Saturday. | Organisers said the retired solicitor, who was wearing a life jacket, was washed over the side during gale force winds on Saturday. |
| Mr Speirs, described a sensible and popular chap, has been buried at sea. | |
| Race co-founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston described him as an experience sailor and said that "it is absolutely tragic to lose someone like this". | |
| "I just feel for his family. Here he was fulfilling his dream and then it has turned into a nightmare for them," he added. | |
| According to a statement from Clipper, Mr Speirs was sailing for Great Britain on board the CV30, which was in sixth place and had reached the Indian Ocean. | According to a statement from Clipper, Mr Speirs was sailing for Great Britain on board the CV30, which was in sixth place and had reached the Indian Ocean. |
| The sailor, who had more than 40 years' dinghy experience, was washed off the deck by the wind. | |
| Mr Speirs then became separated from the boat which was in the Southern Ocean, in what were rough seas with 20 knots of wind and gusts at 40. | |
| The rest of the crew is believed to be safe and heading for Freemantle in Australia. Clipper said an investigation would be carried out. | |
| The 12 racing yachts set off from Liverpool in August. The death of Mr Speirs is the third in the 21-year history of the Clipper race. | |
| During the last race in 2015, Andrew Ashman, 49, from Kent, died from a fatal neck injury. His death was the first in the race's history. | |
| It was followed in April last year by the death of Sarah Young, 40, from London, who was un-tethered and washed off the deck. | |