Vendee Globe sailor rescued after abandoning boat
Dramatic rescue mission for a Vendee Globe competitor who ditched his sinking sailboatThe Vendee Globe single-handed around-the-world yacht race has turned into a rescue mission as one of the skippers took to his liferaft in five-metre seas off the Cape of Good Hope.
After abandoning his boat earlier today, an attempt to rescue 40-year-old Frenchman Kevin Escoffier, aboard PRB, failed after fellow competitor Jean le Cam lost sight of his liferaft in heavy seas.
However, the Vendee Globe’s race directors have since announced that Le Cam was able to relocate and rescue Escoffier shortly before 2pm Australian time.
Escoffier had earlier reported to his race team that he was abandoning ship with “significant amounts” of water coming into his boat around 840 nautical miles south-west of Cape Town.
According to a report on the official Vendee Globe website, Escoffier was able to activate PRB’s distress signal before taking to his liferaft.
Vendee Globe race directors had called on another three boats to join the rescue effort. According to the official race tracker, boats appear to have resumed racing.
Seen aboard
“Kevin has so far only been seen aboard [Le Cam’s boat] YesWeCam! via a live video because Jean Le Cam had connected his video system during all the search operations,” Vendee Globe said in a statement posted to its website.
“No one has yet been able to chat with the PRB skipper who just appeared smiling, bundled up in his survival suit alongside Jean Le Cam.”
The position of Escoffier’s liferaft was plotted using sophisticated tracking software that was able to guess the direction and pace of its drift.
Kevin arrives
“As he [Le Cam] was making headway at 1.5 knots in a 20-25 knot wind under very reduced canopy (three reefs in the mainsail and no engine), he disappeared from the screen and we heard him speak,” Vendee Globe course clerk Jacques Caraës said.
“We no longer saw anyone. Then, a few minutes after 1:06UT, or 2:06 French time (time at which he must have precisely retrieved Kevin on board), Jean went back down to the chart table, then we saw Kevin arrive behind his back in a survival suit.
“They appeared seconds, both fit before the video cut. He is fine. Everyone is well. They are recovering! "
Escoffier’s rescuer is no stranger to the situation. In the 2008-09 edition of the Vendee Globe, Le Cam was rescued off Cape Horn by Vincent Riou, sailing a boat called – wait for it – PRB.
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