Route du Rhum: How the spectacular rescue of the capsized Ocean 50 tris succeeded
Max Gasser
· 23.11.2022
On the third day of the Route du Rhum, there were already three mast breaks, then the next shock: at around 8 pm, the leader of the Ocean 50 class capsized. The skipper of the "Solidaires en Peloton - Arsep" was uninjured; he was able to reach safety in the centre hull of his trimaran. Then the 43-year-old began the anxious wait for help - and it came.
Hardy came, saw and won
What followed was a feat of seamanship. The successful French offshore sailor (including Mini 6.50, Class 40, Figaro) and boat rescuer Adrien Hardy managed to rescue the shipwrecked man in record time and turn his trimaran right side up on the open sea(!) in just seven hours. After towing the boat into a harbour, he also made the Ocean 50 as seaworthy as possible thanks to an emergency rig. The team announced its intention to return to Brittany under sail from São Miguel in the near future.
The French sailing magazine " Voiles et Voiliers " has now published the incredible story from the perspective of the rescued man. Vauchel-Camus vividly describes the events from the fatal capsize to the setting of the emergency rig:
"I came out of a heavy front in one piece. We had had 35 to 38 knots of wind in gusts. I was at the front of the field, everything was going well, the wind had dropped a little and the sea was less strong. I was sailing with one reef in the mainsail, under Genoa 3 and with the centreboard slightly raised. At some point, the heel increased sharply because a gust and a wave came together and slowed the boat down. I immediately cast off the traveller ... but it jammed and wouldn't move to leeward!
I then took over the helm to reduce the pressure in the sails by luffing, but the boat wouldn't turn. That was the point of no return. The mast touched the water and the hull turned backwards. I held on to the main boom, close to my steering position. Eventually the mast broke. The boat continued to tip and I fell into the water from a height of two to three metres. I'm only there for a few seconds. I manage to free myself and quickly make it to the other side. I climb through the escape hatch in the centre of the hull. I'm physically fine and have no injuries. I am safe. I grab my emergency container, which contains my satellite phone, and call the race organisers to inform them of my situation and reassure everyone of my physical condition and the conditions I will be in for the next few hours. I switch on my Yellowbrick transmitter so that my position is displayed every 30 minutes.
I also have in mind that the"Merida"Adrien Hardy's lifeboat, is not far away. The rescue operation is organised with my team on land. Afterwards, I relax in relative comfort. I'm dry, safe and can eat something.
The"Merida" sets course for my position and I liaise regularly with the race management and my team on land. The lifeboat arrives on site at dawn on Sunday, and it's real professionals who take matters into their own hands! After seven hours of work with an inflatable buoy system and after filling one of the floats with water, they succeed,"Solidaires en Peloton- Arsep" upright. Masterly!
Then we set off for the Azores with the trimaran in tow, under manageable conditions ... before the weather gets worse again. I would like to thank the"Merida"-I would like to thank my crew, my team, my partners and my fans.
Since our arrival in Ponta Delgada (Sao Miguel, Azores), we have set up an efficient emergency rig and tried to save everything that can be saved- so much that I almost asked myself whether I should even finish the race!
We still have a lot to do, but we will soon be ready for the return journey to France. In the meantime, I'm collecting my thoughts and will be travelling to Guadeloupe at the end of the week to see my family, my partners and the people of Guadeloupe to bring this difficult episode full circle. My Route du Rhum 2022 is over, but I'm back on my feet and my thoughts are turning to the future."
