A competitor in the trans-Tasman Yacht Challenge is back on dry land in New Zealand after a gruelling 16 hours in a leaky boat battered by large swells.
A maritime search and rescue officer said New Plymouth Yacht Club member Graeme Francis was only saved by his equipment and preparedness “for every eventuality”.
Club commodore Sacha McGregor said Francis’s sail, which started from Opua on Saturday, was the third time he took on the challenge after two earlier successful crossings.
The 69-year-old was back at Mangōnui Monday morning, after surviving rough weather and a whole night of pumping water out of his boat as he sailed more than 180km back to the coast.
On Sunday just after 5pm, the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCCNZ) got a May Day call from Francis through an EPIRB activation, as his boat Robbery started taking on water about 100km north of North Cape.
“There was a danger that the solo yachty on that yacht would have to abandon his vessel.
“The weather conditions out there were extremely challenging yesterday and last night with very strong winds and severe swell,” recalled search and rescue officer Anthony Ivan, who was on duty at the time.
The first commercial tanker sent to his rescue arrived about 11pm and another arrived several hours later, but due to the severe weather conditions, it was too unsafe for Francis to come off his vessel and board the tanker, Ivan said.
The weather conditions were also too unsafe for any aircraft to be sent to the rescue, although an EMS helicopter at Whangarei was on standby in case the weather cleared overnight, he said.
“Essentially he has kept sailing with the flooding, with his pumps managing overnight,” said Ivan.
Francis’s preparedness in having all the right equipment on board – including back up pumps, a lifeboat, life jackets, EPIRBs, and satellite communication devices – had saved his life, Ivan said.
“He has prepared himself for every eventuality and in doing so he’s taken the, I won’t say the miracle component out of it, but he has done everything right and that is the moral to take from this particular story”, he said.
A commercial tanker shepherded Robbery as it got closer to New Zealand, while Francis worked on controlling the flooding on board, Ivan said.
The boat reached Doubtless Bay about 9am, and was met by Coastguards from there onwards to Mangōnui.
Francis was up and walking around, and uninjured, Ivan said.
McGregor said she and other members were “on edge” about Francis last night, checking his location on the tracker every few hours.
She said she’s “absolutely relieved” that Francis is back on dry land.
Second yacht to return
A second yacht, participating in the Solo Trans-Tasman Yacht Challenge, is also on its way back to New Zealand due to damage on the vessel.
The organisers say Bill Kidman has reported issues with the sail and engine of his yacht “Pretty Boy Floyd”.
It said the boat will still be able to make it back to New Zealand safely.
The events’ online tracker shows the yacht is about 350km from Cape Reinga, as of 7pm on Monday.
It is travelling at about two knots, and the organisers said it was expected to arrive at Opua in two to three days.
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