Shark attack

Following a fatal shark attack nearby the Adelaide Sailing Club are to continue with this week's Cadet Nationals

Last Thursday 18 year old Nick Peterson was attacked and ripped apart by two great white sharks after he fell off his wake board as it was being towed board behind a motor boat close to an Adelaide beach. To date the board has been found but no remains of Peterson.

The horrific incident, believed to be the first shark attack in Adelaide waters in 13 years, took place just 300m off the Henley Sailing Club, some 5km north of Adelaide Sailing Club where tomorrow the Cadet Nationals kick off prior to the class' World Championship on 29 December.

Following the attack the Event and Race Management teams for the Cadet Worlds met and have voted to continue with the regatta, but have put a number of extra safety strategies in place. These include:

- Maximising the number of power craft patrolling the racing fleet.
- Ensuring the coaches form part of the rescue / recovery fleet if required.
- All power craft, including coach boats, to have at least two people on board to effect quick safe extraction of sailors from the water.
- Processes for removing sailors from upturned boats to prevent extended times in the water.
- Continued Liaison with authorities including Sea Rescue, SA Police, Fisheries, Surf Lifesaving.
- Strengthening the already stringent safety tally and beach marshalling procedures.
- Registering all power craft personnel on and off the water.
- Regular briefings for all on water personnel.

Adelaide Sailing Club in a press statement commented: "We feel great sorrow and shock at the tragedy of the shark attack which claimed the life of Nick Peterson to the north of the sailing Club yesterday. Whilst Nick had no association with the club or the sport, his family are long time and much respected members and supporters of the Glenelg and Adelaide Sailing Clubs and the International Cadet Class. His father Phillip was a Junior Commodore of Glenelg Sailing Club in 1974. Max (deceased) and Gwen have supported the Fisher, Peterson, Tillett regatta for many years, the longest running, most popular junior regatta in South Australia. Our most heartfelt sympathies and condolences are with Gwen and the family at this time. Many of our junior sailors also knew Nick through school at sacred Heart College. Our support is also offered to them."

Sailing at Adelaide Sailing Club has continued this weekend according to Commodore Hubert Tucker. "I’m sure there are some people with a bit of concern, but I’m not sure about how many people have made the decision to sail or not to sail," Tucker told thedailysail. "There have been people out training for the last two days. We had our normal club racing on Saturday. They have put in more aerial patrols. There hasn’t been a sighting since last Thursday.

"The other thing is that to my knowledge is that there has never been a shark attack on a sailor. I don’t know if it is because there is a lot of activity in the water, power boats, etc. You rarely see them. We haven’t had any sighting in metropolitan Adelaide for many years."

At present 84 Cadets are entered in this week's Nationals including seven British teams who are obviously staying on for the Worlds. "I don’t know how many have reconsidered," continued Tucker. "I guess one or two might have thoughts about it. At the moment I’m looking out my window and I can see 30-50 boats waiting to be measured."

Meanwhile despite great whites being a protected species, a special dispensation has been granted to kill the offending shark (or sharks - despite eye witnesses reporting two sharks attacking Peterson, the authorities now believe there was only one - a 5.5m long great white). Water borne and aerial patrols have also been increased.