"Use it again!" crew on course for Ushuaia after rescue: A little luck after a big disaster for the circumnavigators

Circumnavigators Romain Pillard and Alex Pella are on their way to the Argentinian harbour of Ushuaia. After their trimaran "Use it again!", which ran aground in Cook Bay at night and was later towed free by the Chilean navy, initially entered Port Williams for safety reasons, the crew now have their sights set on a larger harbour. Located on the south side of the Great Tierra del Fuego Island, Ushuaia, the southernmost Argentinian city on the Beagle Channel, offers a better infrastructure for intensive examinations of the trimaran, tests and necessary repairs.

"The 'Use it again!' duo can smile again"

The French "Use it again!" skipper Romain Pillard and his Spanish co-skipper Alex Pella used their time in the small Port Williams with its 2,300 inhabitants, where the Chilean navy maintains one of its main bases, primarily to recharge their own "batteries". The duo once again expressed their special thanks to the Chilean navy, which rescued the trimaran from the rock trap after it ran aground in a challenging manoeuvre.

"They are like moments that have fallen out of time"

After the accident in Cook Bay, where the co-skipper on watch had fallen asleep, Romain Pillard sent this greeting from Port Williams with a picture of both sailors (see below): "Two sailors in town! Their eyes are still small and tired, but the 'Use it again!' duo can smile again. Everyone is cute here: The Navy, the harbour captain Sergio Roa Castro. We were also allowed to stick cotton buds up our noses and are obviously Covid-negative. Eric, a local boatman, prepared a great anchorage for us and cooked us some good snacks. We spent our evening telling each other stories of the sea... In our misfortune, we met some extraordinary people! They are like moments out of time, unforgettable memories."

Alex Pella also sent a hymn of praise for the rescuers from the navy: "What a great job by the Armada de Chile. I have no words! I simply congratulate them on their speed, efficiency, professionalism and human treatment. Always grateful, Ax." Click here for the video that the "Use it again!" crew from the morning after the run-up in Cook Bay (please click!). The skipper's choked voice is a reminder of the shock and disappointment that the physically uninjured crew had to contend with. Click here for the Website of the team which acts as an ambassador for the sustainable use of the world's oceans and promotes the global circular economy. The team will decide in Ushuaia whether and when the round-the-world voyage from east to west can be continued. Perhaps the hopes that the team slogan and boat name will even work in this case will be fulfilled there: Use it again!