Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Vendee - Rescue at Sea




"After a tense morning of waiting, there was huge relief for Vendée Globe organizers and competitors this afternoon with the news that Vincent Riou (PRB) had arrived 200 miles west of Cape Horn at the scene of VM Matériaux’s capsize at 1421 (GMT) and made contact with Jean Le Cam" stranded inside his boat which turtled.

On the fourth try Riou was able to pick up LeCam, though the rescuer PRB sustained some damage when the boat snagged the remains of the upright keel - which had lost its ballast bulb.  

Even with the EPIRB signal's guidance (emergency position indicating radar beacon) it is very difficult to locate a capsized boat awash in in 4 - 5 meter seas.  

Above rescued and rescuer, LeCam turtled,  Riou in a file shot.  For more go to vendeeglobe.org/en