The racing yacht Illumen 12, which Italian skipper Michele Zambelli was forced to abandon during the OSTAR transatlantic regatta back in June this year, has been berthed on Irish shores. The boat, long thought to be sunk, was found by villagers in the small county of Brandon, County Kerry, on their beach.
Five months ago, the 26-year-old yachtsman was sailing across the Atlantic Ocean as part of a solo regatta when his boat struck (he assumes) a whale, lost its keel and began rapidly gaining water.
The searing emotion that comes with such a situation, knowing that the race is over, the dangers are great and the boat might no longer be save, was captured by Quito de Pavant who found himself in exactly the same position in the Vendee Globe a year ago.
Looking at Illumen 12 from the Canadian rescue helicopter, the young Italian said goodbye to his boat. Due to a heavy leak at the time it was thought she would sink within the next few hours.
«My heart is broken. ... This is the last time I will see my boat," he said. "Life is wonderful today, but ... the last image of my boat filled with water will stay with me forever».
Only Illumen 12 had other plans. Instead of going down, the boat travelled more than 1,600 nautical miles in 170 days, starting her solo journey 650 kilometres southeast of the Canadian island of Newfoundland and ending up on the coast of Ireland.
Upon learning that his vessel had been found and, despite significant damage, was highly likely to be repairable, Michele Zambelli became incredibly ecstatic:
«I am so happy that my boat is not dead! I miss her, I can't believe it! I'm coming to Ireland to pick up my boat!»
During dangerous ocean crossings, it is quite common for yachtsmen to abandon their vessels due to emergencies, but rarely is a boat as lucky as Zambelli's yacht. For example, the remains of Alex Thomson's IMOCA 60 Hugo Boss yacht didn't come ashore until 10 years later and most boats just stay on the bottom.
