What It Was Really Like When Apache Sank

“WE'RE SINKING AND FAST.” That was the message that came through to the team while Apache was still out on the race course. We had already shared what happened to Apache during the race. This video is the story of what it actually felt like while it was happening. From onboard, the first indication was that something wasn't right. Apache began losing speed and revs, and steam appeared inside the engine hatches. At first, it looked like an engine problem. Then we came off the plane and opened the hatches. There was a huge amount of water inside the boat. For those of us onboard, thoughts quickly changed from trying to diagnose an engine fault to wondering whether we were about to end up in the water. For the rest of the team watching from another boat, it was very different. Apache simply didn't come back around the course. Then a message appeared in the team WhatsApp: “WE'RE SINKING AND FAST.” What followed was a strange mixture of fear, adrenaline and relief as Apache was taken under tow, the water stopped rising and it gradually became clear that everybody — and hopefully the boat — was going to be OK. Only later, when Apache was finally lifted from the water, could we see what had actually happened. And for me personally, there was another question going through my head throughout the recovery: had I missed something? I'd inspected the hull. I'd been involved in preparing the boat to race. Until we could actually see the damage, I couldn't know whether something in the structure had failed or whether there was a problem I'd overlooked. The moment the hole became visible changed everything. We knew we'd hit something. And almost immediately the conversation changed from “Are we going to lose Apache?” to: “How quickly can we get her racing again?” This episode tells that story from the people who were there — onboard Apache, watching from the race course and working through the night afterwards to save the engines and begin planning her return. 📩 Get Involved / Contact For sponsorship enquiries, media requests or general information about the 2026 campaign: peter@straighteightengineering.com 🌐 Website – https://apache555.com 📘 Facebook –   / apacheoffshore555   📸 Instagram –   / apacheoffshore555   🔔 Follow the Journey Subscribe to follow Apache 555 as we repair the damage and work towards getting this historic World Championship-winning offshore race boat back where she belongs — racing.