Sailing - 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race - Arrecife, Lanzarote, Spain - January 11, 2026 Walross 4, crewed by German students, fly the Berlin bear on their spinnaker as they start the RORC Transatlantic Race from Lanzarote to Antigu REUTERS/Ossian Shine
Jan 20 (Reuters) - A crew member on a German yacht competing in the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Transatlantic Race died following an accident during the crossing from Spain to Antigua, race organisers said on Tuesday.
German yacht Walross 4 was near the halfway point of the 3,000-nautical-mile race when an unidentified crew member was knocked unconscious on Monday, the club said previously.
The boat was being sailed by German skipper Matthias Kahnt and a novice crew of students.
The injured crew member was transferred to a nearby commercial vessel as part of a coordinated rescue but later died, organisers said in a statement on behalf of ASV-Berlin, the sailing club that owns the yacht.
The statement said the sailboat's remaining crew were receiving professional care en route to their destination port, which was not identified.
RORC Commodore Deb Fish expressed condolences to the crew member’s family and friends.
“On behalf of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, I extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of the crew member,” Fish said in the statement.
“Our thoughts are also with the yacht’s crew at this profoundly difficult time. We would like to thank all involved in the emergency response for their professionalism.”
The race began at the Spanish island of Lanzarote on January 11 and finishes in Antigua in the Caribbean.
The American trimaran MOD70 Argo set a course record by finishing the race in just under five days on Friday.
(Reporting by Ossian Shine; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
