Britons injured on yacht return to land

Two injured crew members from an Australian yacht taking part in a round-the-world race were ferried safely to shore on Monday (April 02) by a U.S. Coast Guard cutter that rescued them after a towering wave smashed into their sailboat. British competitor Jane Hitchens, 50, and her crew mate, Nik Brbora, 29, a Croatian native who now lives in England, arrived at Coast Guard Island in San Francisco Bay in late afternoon and were taken by Alameda city paramedics to a local hospital.Hitchens, believed to have broken some ribs, and Brbora, who apparently suffered a sprained pelvis, walked stiffly down the gangplank escorted by Coast Guard personnel and were placed on stretchers.Each gave a smile before being loaded into separate waiting ambulances.The assistant director of the round-the-globe sailing contest, Justin Taylor, said it would be up to doctors to determine whether the two injured mariners were fit to return to the race later this month for the last leg of the competition.Well you know the crew are understandable shocked and theres always a period when you need to debrief and talk about your experiences and I think thats what they are going through at the moment, said Taylor.I think a situation like this does bring the crew, theyre already tight knit, but it brings them much closer together and I think thats what is happening and they are certainly relying on one another at the moment. I think its safe to say when they get to shore well kind of take over and be a bit of a crutch for them.Two other crew members with less severe injuries, and nine fellow sailors who were unhurt will remain aboard their yacht, the Geraldton Western Australia, which is competing against nine identical sailboats in the Clipper Around the World Race.The Geraldton was expected to dock in Oakland, across the bay from San Francisco, early on Tuesday (April 03) morning.The Coast Guard cutter Bertholf picked up Hitchens, a doctor from Kent, and Brbora software engineer who resides in London, from their yacht on Sunday, a day after the vessel was slammed by a huge wave during rough seas, race organizers said.From when we launched to looking at their face when we were coming along their side, talking to Jane when she was on our boat trying to make her as comfortable as possible, the look of gratitude in her face was definitely rewarding, explained Ryan Humphrey, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class.The other two injured crew members were identified as Max Wilson, 62, a farmer from Queensland, Australia, who also was suspected to have suffered broken ribs but was is in more stable condition, and Mark Burkes, 47, from Worcestershire, England, who sustained a back injury, according to a statement from the race organizers.They had been close to finishing the sixth leg of a 40,000-mile race that began in July 31, 2011 in Southampton, England, and took the yachts to ports in Brazil, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and China, then across the Pacific Ocean en route to Oakland, California.The Geraldton was stricken about 400 nautical miles off the California coast by a monster wave that crashed over the boats deck on Saturday. The impact destroyed its steering wheel and one of its communications systems, a Coast Guard statement said.Coast Guard Captain Tom Crabbs said the crew had to contend with 20- to 30-foot seas during the rescue.The Geraldton is using backup steering and communications systems to sail to Oakland. After repairs there, the Geraldton will continue on the next leg of the race, departing for Panama on April 14 with the goal of reaching Britain again on July 22, 2012, Hokken said.