It was South African GGR participant Kirsten Neuschäfer who forwarded Guy deBoer's VHF Mayday call to the GGR race organisers at 03:10 UTC on Sunday morning. Guy deBoer's Tashiba 36 had run aground on the north coast of Fuerteventura, just 10 miles from Marina Rubicon on Lanzarote, which he had passed two and a half hours earlier. Freshly shaved, the 66-year-old was still in good shape at the film gate installed there, where all skippers are required by regulations to hand in film and photo material.
As can be seen on the live tracker, the fifth-placed deBoer then veered off course south of Lanzarote for unknown reasons and headed straight for the rocks on the north coast of Fuerteventura.
His Tashiba 36 "Spirit" touched down on a rock off the beach "Playa el Hierro" and tilted 45° while heavy surf waves crashed over the boat. The boat was slowly pushed forwards and dragged over the rocks. DeBoer, who was in constant contact with Salvamento Maritimo, the local Rescue Coordination Centre and GGR Race Control, found himself in a serious situation. With his life raft ready, however, he decided to stay in the Spirit, which seemed to be the safest place to be in the dark.
At 04:10 UTC, MRCC Las Palmas informed the GGR control centre that the first responders were on the beach, about 50 metres from the boat sitting on the rocks. At 04:36 UTC, deBoer finally left his yacht on foot, assisted by the local police and fire brigade. Uninjured, he was taken to a local hotel.
Following the voluntary retirement of Canadian Edward Walentynowiz, the 2022 Golden Globe Race retro adventure is now over for the second skipper.
Salvage of the wrecked Tashiba 36 "Spirit"
According to an assessment by the local authorities, it was deemed too difficult to pull the "Spirit" back into the sea at high tide. It was therefore decided to pump all the fuel out of the boat to prevent it from leaking. Work is now underway with Guy deBoer's team and an insurance company to salvage the Tashiba 36 with as little environmental impact as possible. The area is a popular surfing spot and is famous for its marine biodiversity.
Meanwhile, Simon Curwen (UK) was able to extend his lead over the second-placed Finn Tapio Lehtinen, while the Frenchman and real favourite Damien Guillou is in the process of rolling up the field from behind after his forced break. He has already overtaken his compatriot Arnaud Gaist and has the Australian Marc Sinclair firmly in his sights.
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