The Transat Jacques Vabre 50-foot trimaran Multi50 Drekan Groupe, racing French sailors Eric Defert and Christopher Pratt, capsized overnight in the North Atlantic. The sailors were rescued by the crew of the Dutch cargo ship Beautriton. Both sailors are safe and sound.
Due to their experience and professionalism, Defert and Pratt foresaw that the boat would capsize any minute, so they took cover in the cockpit and hurriedly put on their life jackets and activated the emergency beacon. The trimaran made a pitchpole - a rollover over the bow.
The Punta Delgada Rescue Center received the distress call at 08:58 UTC and alerted race management. Pratt was able to call race director Sylvie Viant on the emergency satellite phone «Iridium». He reported that there were no injuries.
The capsize happened 380 miles from the island of Terseira (Azores), which meant that the helicopter had no way to get there quickly and rescue the sailors. The rescuers therefore decided to contact the nearest cargo ship, MRV Beautriton, which was 30 miles away from the capsized trimaran.
This decision made it possible to reach the location quickly. A Portuguese navy patrol boat joined the rescue operation.
Further events did not unfold as desired. At 01:34 a message was received from the Bautriton to the rescue center that they had approached the Drekan Groupe and were negotiating with the crew. Given the weather conditions, it was decided to wait until dawn. Finally, at 09:38 Bautriton lowered the lifeboat into the water and rescued the two sailors, they boarded the vessel without injury. The freighter was bound for the United States, Georgetown.
Nothing is known about the fate of the Drekan Group trimaran at this time. In accordance with International Maritime Regulations, when rescuers approached the overturned vessel Defert turned off the Cospas-Sarsat emergency radio beacon, designed solely to locate and rescue sailors so as not to engage other vessels. So we now have no information on the location of the Drekan Groupe.
The Transat Jaques Vabre offshore race started on November 5 from Le Havre, France. This year is the 13th edition of the race and not for the first time it has been marred by incidents. Last year for example Alex Thomson's Prince de Bretagne and Imoca 60 trimaran capsized during the Transat Jaques Vabre. Several other yachts sustained serious damage.
