The accident came without warning: 500 nautical miles west of Madeira and 360 nautical miles south of the Azores island of Sao Miguel, the Spanish Vendée Globe skipper Javier Sanso capsized on Sunday morning in moderate conditions with 15 knots of wind. Just a few minutes earlier, the Spaniard had sent his daily report from on board to headquarters. There was no sign of what was to come. The race organisers were informed by Sanso's team at 12 noon German time that they had received alarm signals from him.
The race organisers, MRCC Ponta Delgada in the Azores and the rescuers from Cross Griz Nez immediately tried to contact the Spaniard - but to no avail. The MRCC Ponta Delgada then ordered an aeroplane to search the area. The crew spotted Sanso in his life raft at 5.30 pm. Sanso drew attention to himself with hand signals and - with the help of a hand-held beacon - with smoke signals. The race organisers were informed at 17:50. At 6.50 pm, an EH 101 helicopter took off from the Azores to rescue Sanso. Its crew recovered Sanso at 0.40 am on Monday night.
A doctor on board the helicopter immediately examined the skipper of the "Acciona 100 % EcoPowered", but was unable to detect any injuries or hypothermia. The helicopter flew Javier Sanso to the military base on the Azorean island of Terceira. There, Sanso was again examined by a team of doctors. The Spaniard is doing well. The race organisers were informed of this at 5.30 am on Monday morning. The race organisers will announce further information about the boat in the course of Monday.
That same night, the race organisers also announced that Jean-Pierre Dick would not have to expect any points deductions or even disqualification after his stop off the northern Spanish coast, which lasted several days. Dick had switched on his engine for three to four minutes in order to tie up safely at the mooring, where the skipper protected his "Virbac Paprec 3" without a keel from stormy winds until Sunday morning. The jury's verdict: "The skipper carried out all the mooring manoeuvres himself, started up again himself and received no outside help."
By "breaking the seals and using the engine, 'Virbac Paprec 3' violated articles 13.2 and 13.3 of the Notice of Race", but on the other hand demonstrated good seamanship by only using his engine for a short time and only for the equipment. The jury was convinced that the skipper had not profited from the breach of the regulations. Dick is now only around 100 nautical miles from the finish line. This gives him every chance of fourth place.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
