What happened
The incident occurred on Monday, 19 January 2026, when the Nissen 56 "Walrus 4" was sailing in the Atlantic from Lanzarote to Antigua. According to the regatta organisation, a crew member fell unconscious in an accident on board.
The relevant rescue centres were involved immediately after the report was made. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Delgada on the Azores was responsible for coordinating the operation. A nearby merchant ship was diverted and was able to take the injured person from the yacht under sea conditions.
How the evacuation works
The merchant ship then headed for Cape Verde. As soon as weather and range allow, a helicopter transfer is planned to take the injured person to the Azores for further treatment. Relatives have been informed and the regatta organisation says it is still in direct contact with "Walross 4" and the Berlin Academic Sailing Club as the owner.
Challenging regatta
"Walross 4" is one of 21 boats in the 12th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Racea passage of around 3,000 nautical miles from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean. The start of the 12th edition took place on Sunday, 11 January 2026, from Marina Lanzarote in the direction of Antigua. Stable trade wind conditions characterised the race right from the start, ensuring a fast pace and a fleet that spread out early on.
A duel between the MOD70 trimarans developed at the front of the multihulls: "Argo" prevailed in a close duel against "Zoulou", both boats sailed at very high average speeds over long distances.
Multihull Line Honours: "Argo" (USA) won the multihull classification and set a new record for the Lanzarote-Antigua course. The finish was on 16 January at 12:31:15 UTC (13:31 CET), the time according to RORC: 4 days, 23 hours, 51 minutes, 15 seconds. "Zoulou" followed just 2 hours and 32 minutes later.
The "Walrus 4"
"Walross 4" is the club yacht of the Akademischer Segler-Verein (ASV) from Berlin. The 56-footer was built between 2006 and 2007 in Berlin and Glückstadt, constructed by Kiel yacht designer Georg Nissen and designed as a performance cruiser, i.e. as a seaworthy cruising yacht for worldwide voyages even under tough conditions, with fixed berths and "real" on-board infrastructure instead of lightweight construction for maximum speed.
In the RORC Transatlantic Race 2026, "Walross 4" is sailing under skipper Matthias Kahnt with a young crew: nine out of ten crew members are students from Berlin universities, and for many it is their first ocean crossing. The sporting ambition is closely linked to training and gaining experience.
The history of the "Walrösser"
"WALROSS I"
Type/year of construction: 9m cruiser yacht (pointed gate), Year of construction 1919
Construction: Naval architect A. H. Meisner (Flensburg)
ASV deployment: first ocean-going vessel after the Second World War, 1954-558 sea voyages, 2,916 sm
End: Stranding Hohwachter Bucht (autumn 1955), then sold
"WALROSS II"
Type/year of construction: Steel ship, Year of construction 1951
Construction: Erich Köppen
ASV deployment: Seagoing vessel 1957-1973, 81 Travelling, 70,091 sm (Baltic Sea, North Sea, Atlantic Ocean)
Highlight: Spitsbergen trip 1972 (beyond 80°N), honoured with the Schlimbach Prize (Crew around skipper Ekhart Hahn)
"WALROSS III"
Type/year of construction: Swan 55, ex "Jan Pott", Year of construction 1971 (since 1974 in the ASV)
Construction: Sparkman & Stephens
Highlight: Whitbread Round the World Race 1981/82 (today Ocean Race) as only German ship; 4 stages, 28,329 sm
ASV utilisation: 227 Travel under ASV stander, 255,828 sm
"WALROSS 4"
Type/year of construction: Nissen 56 "performance cruiser", Year of construction 2007 (Construction 2006-07 Berlin/Glückstadt)
Construction: Georg Nissen (Laboe)
Application profile: ocean-going cruising yacht for worldwide cruising, 10 fixed berths; Changing crews with experienced ship's command
Highlights: a. o. World tour to China 2007-2010, Sydney-Hobart, Cape Hornsince 2007 >130,000 sm in around 150 stages
