Vendee Globe - Contact with Jean Le Cam in upturned hull

7:14 PM Tue 6 Jan 2009 GMT

'The scene of VM Mat?riaux's capsize - Jean Le Cam is trapped inside' Vendee Globe 2008 &copy

After a tense morning of waiting, there was huge relief for Vend?e Globe organizers and competitors this afternoon with the news that Vincent Riou (PRB) had arrived at the scene of VM Mat?riaux's capsize at 14:21 (GMT) and made contact with Jean Le Cam inside the upturned hull.

The pink IMOCA 60 is floating upside down around 200 miles west of Cape Horn (56? 17' S, 73? 46' W), with the bulb of her keel detached, in a slightly stern-down position - possibly due to the ballast tanks being full at the time of the capsize. Riou was able to spot a 'flag' poking out of one of the through-hull fittings of the yacht and shouted for Le Cam, who responded. Both EPIRBs have also been activated on the yacht.

Riou was joined on the scene around an hour later by fellow skipper Armel Le Cl?ac'h in Brit Air. The two are now standing by, as is an oil tanker, the Sonangol Kassanje, who was first on the scene. The tanker was unable to deploy a rescue boat due to a rough sea with 4-5m waves, but may be able to provide a lee.

A Chilean naval tug has now left Puerto Williams to assist the rescue effort, and is equipped with a RIB and divers onboard. They are expected to arrive at the scene around 05:00 (GMT) tomorrow.

Read more on earlier distress call here - www.sail-world.com/UK/Vendee---Jean-Le-Cams-distress-beacon-triggered-at-01:40-GMT/52550

Jean Le Cam on VM Mat?riaux made distress call to his shore team this morning at 00:26 GMT - Vendee Globe2008 &copy

by Event media

Click on thumbnails to enlarge and find more photos:

Newsfeed supplied by

#News #Sailing

Sailing

VHF Radio on the Water: Channels and Calls

Sailing

Heave-To: Sailing's Emergency Pause Button

Sailing

Reefing Early: Shorten Sail Before You Must

Sailing

Reefing Early: Shorten Sail Before It's Too Late

Sailing

Reefing: Read the Signs, Act Early

Sailing

QLD Coast in Winter: Dry Season Tactics

Nearby
North Head, NSW	3 kn W
Little Bay, NSW	3 kn W
Cronulla, NSW	6 kn WSW
Windiest in Australia
Mount Wellington, TAS	43 kn WSW	3°
Most Windless in Australia
Halls Creek, WA	Calm	18°
Hottest in Australia
Cocos Island, WA	12 kn E	27°
Coldest in Australia
Perisher Valley, NSW	4 kn WSW	-3°
Wettest in Australia
Forrest, WA	21.8 mm

Vendee Globe - Contact with Jean Le Cam in upturned hull

The Beaufort Scale: How We Learned to Rank Wind

Overnight at Anchor: Setting Up Right

Read the Wind: Judge Its Force Without a Gauge

Live Weather

Nearby

Windiest in Australia

Most Windless in Australia

Hottest in Australia

Coldest in Australia

Wettest in Australia

Sailing Articles

Buy & Sell

Slingshot Sling Wing Classic V1.0

2023 SMIK V3

2025 Armstrong Fg

2026 Sunova Sunova Downwind Race

2025 Duotone Spirit

2022 F4 Foils Gp Foils, Sails, Boards, Fins. Wing And

2021 StarKites Taina

Weather

Activities

About

Other

Support