Powerboat expert says manouevres on boat that led to crash killing Ryan McKinlay were '˜unsafe'

A WORLD-leading powerboat expert has said manouevres carried out on a boat that later crashed killing a passenger were '˜unsafe'.
Aaron Brown arriving at court. Picture: Solent News & Photo AgencyAaron Brown arriving at court. Picture: Solent News & Photo Agency
Aaron Brown arriving at court. Picture: Solent News & Photo Agency

Paul Glatzel is only one of five people in the world the Royal Yachting Association uses to instruct the trainers who teach other instructors, jurors were told.

At Winchester Crown Court he was asked to comment on footage of skipper Paul Carey piloting a jet water-powered tender near a larger vessel, True Blue, where several people had gathered for an outing.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Glatzel is one of the experts giving evidence in the trial of Aaron Brown, accused of the manslaughter of dad-of-one Ryan McKinlay, 36, of Gosport killed when a Williams Turbojet 325 piloted by Brown crashed into the motor cruiser True Blue.

Ryan McKinlayRyan McKinlay
Ryan McKinlay

He died on June 19 after the incident in Osborne Bay, off the Isle of Wight, in 2015.

Jurors have already been told Carey was piloting the boat with two other men as passengers earlier in the same afternoon.

After watching clips of the tender passing the larger boat, he said bringing the boat close to True Blue ‘makes it unsafe’.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: ‘It’s too close, unnecessarily too close, and therefore unsafe.’

Ryan McKinlayRyan McKinlay
Ryan McKinlay

He characterised other footage of manoeuvres as in the ‘realms of unsafe’.

Carey, 52, of Chatsworth Road, Southampton, denies a charge of driving too fast in contravention of Merchant Shipping regulations.

Prosecutor Nick Tucker yesterday said Carey’s driving of the boat ‘contributed to a climate in which Mr Brown was encouraged to do the same’.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Outlining the case against Carey yesterday, Mr Tucker said: ‘We say it was just good luck on his part that he is not the one on trial for manslaughter.’

Brown, 34, Botley Road, Curdridge, denies manslaughter by gross negligence.

(Proceeding)