Storm Austen: Damage to boats in France and a forced break ahead of the Route du Rhum

With gusts of more than 120 kilometres per hour, heavy seas and several rescue operations, Storm ‘Austen’ struck the coasts of Great Britain and northern France last Friday, 23 October. Water sports enthusiasts found themselves in particular difficulty in the English Channel. Off Calais, a sailing yacht with a damaged steering system had to be assisted, whilst in a British harbour a skipper was rescued from his yacht as a precautionary measure. The effects of the storm continued to keep sea rescue services busy over the weekend. The strong winds also affected participants in the Route du Rhum.

​Measurements taken by the meteorological services show just how fierce the storm ultimately turned out to be. On the British Isles of Scilly, the Met Office recorded a gust of 76 miles per hour at St Mary’s Airport, equivalent to around 122 kilometres per hour. Gusts of around 120 kilometres per hour were also recorded on the Isle of Wight and along the Dorset coast. Météo-France reported even stronger gusts from Brittany. In Plovan, 129 kilometres per hour were recorded, and in Saint-Ségal, 122 kilometres per hour. The coasts of Brittany and Normandy were particularly affected, as was, further along, the English Channel off northern France.

Route du Rhum: Mooring lines reinforced, IMOCs re-routed

In Saint-Malo, Austen arrived right in the middle of preparations for the Route du Rhum. As the organisers described in their report on 22 October regarding the storm-proofing of the racing boats, mooring lines were doubled, and in the case of some Ultim trimarans, even tripled. Several IMOCs were repositioned so that they were not lying across the expected wind. Floating gangways were removed.

The teams planned night watches on board. On the ‘Maxi Banque Populaire XI’, the float on the jetty side was also weighted down with water to prevent it from being lifted towards the pontoon. On shore, the support crew positioned around 30 lorries and other heavy vehicles in front of the regatta village stands to act as a windbreak.

No serious damage to the regatta fleet has been reported

For Saint-Malo, the organisation reported sustained winds of around 50 knots and gusts exceeding 75 knots. This equates to peak speeds of around 140 kilometres per hour. In its report dated 23 October, it stated that there had been no major damage to the 115 boats in the fleet.

However, the storm did not pass without incident: the roof of a marquee fell onto Erwan Le Draoulec’s Ocean Fifty trimaran, the “Lazare X Hellio”. According to the organiser, there were no serious consequences.

The regatta village remained closed on Friday. Following inspections of the facilities, the village reopened on Saturday.

The start from Saint-Malo to Guadeloupe is scheduled for 1 November 2026. The competitive landscape and Boris Herrmann’s first solo race with ‘Malizia 4’ place the YACHT preview of the Route du Rhum one.

Oar break off the coast of France

​Just how dangerous the conditions had become for sailing yachts became apparent on Friday afternoon off Cap Gris-Nez near Calais. There, a sailing yacht approximately 50 feet – or a good 15 metres – long had got into difficulty due to damage to its steering system. The French sea rescue organisation SNSM dispatched its ocean-going rescue cruiser from Calais to assist the yacht. According to the French regional broadcaster Radio 6, wind speeds reached up to 60 knots during the operation.

​The conditions were apparently so difficult that the large deep-sea tug ‘Abeille Normandie’ was also called into action. It assisted with the rescue operation by providing the much smaller SNSM cruiser with shelter from the severe weather conditions. Details regarding the crew of the sailing yacht, the exact nature of the fault and the vessel’s current whereabouts have not yet been released.

Rescue from a yacht in the harbour

It wasn’t just at sea that dangerous situations arose. As the local newspaper *The Isle of Thanet News* reports, citing the emergency services, the sole person on board a yacht moored in Margate harbour called for help. She feared for her safety and wanted to be taken ashore.

Westerly to north-westerly winds with severe gusts and choppy seas made conditions difficult for the boat, even within the harbour basin. Due to the shallow water, the sea rescue team opted to use their smaller D-class rescue boat. The person was brought ashore unharmed.

Christian Wright, the incident commander in charge, said that the early request for assistance had been the right decision. He added that Margate is exposed to certain wind directions.

Wind direction and swell determine the level of protection

These incidents highlight various hazards: wind loads at the mooring, flying debris in the regatta harbour and swell affecting a moored yacht. A harbour can offer good protection when the wind is blowing in one direction, yet be exposed to swell when it blows in another. The practical article explains the precautions that need to be taken as a result: Securing a yacht in the harbour during a storm based on the choice of berth, mooring lines and fenders.

It is not just the wind strength that matters. Swell sets the boat in motion, and the mooring lines have to slow it down again. At the same time, the Wind pressure on the hull and rigging proportional to the square of the wind speed. All other things being equal, a doubling of the wind speed results in approximately four times the wind pressure.

Changes in water levels also affect the way the mooring lines are routed and the distance to the jetty or quay wall. When Proper mooring in different berthing situations The breaking strength, elasticity and length of the mooring lines must therefore be compatible. Additional mooring lines alone do not make an unsuitable mooring place safe.

Taking precautions at your mooring ahead of the next storm

Preparations should be made whilst the harbour and the boat are still safely accessible. This includes checking mooring lines and areas prone to chafing, distributing the load across suitable attachment points, and positioning fenders correctly. Loose equipment must be secured. If severe weather is forecast, owners should also reduce the windage of sails and tarpaulins and check with the harbour master whether a more sheltered berth is available.

Webinar tip: This section explores in more detail how to prepare your boat and crew for severe weather conditions. Webinar on preparing for severe weather with round-the-world sailor Tim Kröger.

Book recommendation

Sailing in heavy weather covers preparing for severe weather conditions and weathering storms at sea. The book explains how design and equipment influence the behaviour of different types of boat, and outlines heavy-weather tactics. Topics covered include trysails, as well as sea anchors and drift anchors. Accounts of specific storm events complement the technical fundamentals. In this way, the book explores in depth how boats and crews can prepare for extreme conditions.

What precautions have proved effective at your harbour or mooring during a storm?