Sailor who died in round-the-world yacht race buried at sea

LONDON (AP) An amateur sailor who died after being swept off a yacht during a round-the-world race was buried at sea Sunday.

The 12 teams in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race held a minute's silence on their boats in memory of Sarah Young. Darren Ladd, skipper of the boat Young had sailed on, IchorCoal, said the burial was ''one of the hardest days of my life.''

''The crew stood on deck with all the courage and dignity we could muster, read a few of Sarah's favorite prayers and poetry, before holding a minute's silence,'' Ladd said.

''Sarah was an adventurer and lived life to the full. She died an adventurer's death battling the elements circumnavigating the globe.''

Young, a 40-year-old businesswoman from London, was washed into the Pacific Ocean by a wave on Friday while tending a sail. The clipper was sailing through rough weather on its way from China to Seattle.

Race organizers are investigating the accident. They say Young was not tethered to the boat, a standard safety measure.

The 46,000-mile (74,000 kilometer) race, which is in its 10th edition, began in London in August and is due to finish in the British capital at the end of July.

Young is only the second fatality in the race's history. The first, Andrew Ashman, died in September aboard the same boat when he was knocked unconscious by a sail.