9 Alliance Crew Return to 636-Mile Newport Bermuda Race After 2024 Sinking

2 articles · Updated · The Boston Globe · Jun 19

Two years after Alliance sank 300 miles offshore in the 2024 Newport Bermuda Race, Lydia Mullan and Sam Webster are re-entering this week aboard Banter, one of the boats that answered their mayday.
A submerged object tore a hole through the 40-foot J/122’s hull around 2:45 a.m., and the nine-person crew used drilled emergency procedures and two de-watering pumps to keep the boat afloat long enough for help.
Ceilidh reached the life raft about an hour after the distress call and had all nine sailors aboard by 4:06 a.m.; a punctured raft then scrapped plans to split the rescued crew with Banter.
The rescue left 16 people on Ceilidh for the final 52 hours to Bermuda, where the Alliance sailors only began processing the trauma after reaching shore.
Mullan said getting back on the water quickly helped her manage lingering PTSD-like symptoms, and this year’s 636-nautical-mile return is aimed at finally "closing the loop."