French Navy saves New Zealand family with six children

Cruising

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4:17 AM Fri 3 Jul 2009 GMT

'Carenza’s Skipper had to watch as the yacht sank' .

While French footballers may not be so popular in New Zealand after a French rugby player in New Zealand was recently found to be lying about his injuries, the French Navy has redeemed their nation with the New Zealand sailing fraternity after they came to the rescue of an Auckland family on a dismasted yacht.

The Bradfield family's yacht Carenza was crippled by a storm, as they sailed from Tonga to Auckland. When they sent out a mayday, it was a French patrol boat that came to save them.

Charles Bradfield, his partner Joy and their six children had spent a helpless night in two metre swells after their mast snapped and ropes got tangled in the rudder.

The following morning, as the French Navy brought them home on calm seas, it was hard to imagine the ocean hostile.