BT activates distress beacon, rescue process is activated …

5 Comments

1. Mikael
   Posted November 12, 2009 at 14:19 | Permalink

   Har han någonsin lyckats komma i mål?

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   • Leino
     Posted November 13, 2009 at 18:01 | Permalink

     2nd place podium finish in the Barcelona World Race, February 2008

     Broke his own world 24 hr distance record, for 60ft Monohull. Sailing a distance of 501.3nm at an average speed of 20.9knts.

     2007
     Finished 3rd in the famous Rolext Fastnet Race
     2003
     Set new 24hr solo monohull world speed sailing record covering 468m at an average boat speed of 19.5 knots.

     3rd in Defi Atlantique solo transatlantic race on Open 60 “AT Racing”.

     2nd in Transat Jacques Vabre with Roland Jourdain on Open 60 “Sill”.

     Sailing captain on “HUGO BOSS” Farr 65 for Rolex Fastnet Race.

     1998-1999
     1st in Clipper race and youngest skipper to win a round the world yacht race; a record he still holds today.

     Reply
2. Peter Gustafsson
   Posted November 13, 2009 at 15:35 | Permalink

   BT activates distress beacon, rescue process is activated

   At approximately 10:20hrs GMT today, BT crew Sébastien Josse and Jean-François Cuzon who are racing in the IMOCA Open 60 class in the Transat Jacques Vabre two handed race from Le Havre to Costa Rica, activated their EPIRB distress beacon after having suffered major damage following a night battling it out in fierce seas and winds reaching 60 knots at times.

   The skippers are in regular contact with Race Director Jean Maurel, and have reported significant damage to the coachroof, and water entering the boat.

   The MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) are coordinating operations with the Transat Jacques Vabre Race Direction and the BT shore team, to ensure the safe recovery of the skippers.

   MRCC Falmouth confirmed that the RCC Azores had sent a helicopter and a Navy vessel in the direction of BT, also emitting a satellite broadcast alert to shipping in the area.

   BT was positioned 210 miles North of the Azores at position 42 10º N – 27 50º W.

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3. Peter Gustafsson
   Posted November 14, 2009 at 08:31 | Permalink

   BT co-skippers airlifted to safety.

   At approx 1800hrs GMT news has come that the BT co-skippers Seb Josse and Jean Francois Curzon have been successfully lifted off their stricken IMOCA Open 60 by a Portuguese Air Force Puma helicopter and are believed to be heading for Lajes Field air base on the Azores island of Terceiera.

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4. Peter Gustafsson
   Posted November 16, 2009 at 10:03 | Permalink

   Hugo Boss damaged, slowed to assess damage.

   When lying in fourth place in the Transat Jacques Vabre race from Le Havre to Porto Limon, Costa Rica, the British IMOCA Open 60 Hugo Boss last night reported hitting an unidentified object in the water, damaging the starboard bow of the boat and causing them to take in water. They have slowed the boat right down, have a pump working, are managing the ingress of water.

   Alex Thomson, the skipper, has reported that conditions are stable and they are not in any imminent danger. The British pair are in regular contact with TJV Race Director Jean Maurel. They have been in discussion with their shore team, and with a structural engineer from SP before they make any decisions as to what their options are.
   Hugo Boss was approximately 400 miles south of the Azores.
   Thomson said:
   “I am gutted, we have done the hard bit, been through the storms and the way ahead was looking very easy. We will monitor the situation overnight and assess in the morning what our options are,”

   Further down the race course, abreast of the Canary Islands the three way battle at the front of the fleet continues with Safran still holding the upper hand as the trio negotiate the more tricky downwind conditions at the lower edge of a high pressure before breaking into a more stable SE’ly wind flow.

   Safran hold a lead of just less than 34 miles, as the chasing pair squeeze up a little .
   Now in third, after erring closer to the centre of the high and having less wind perhaps, Mike Golding Yacht Racing are less than five miles behind Kito de Pavant and Francois Gabart on Groupe Bel.
   Golding said this morning that conditions for them remain tricky, quite unstable under spinnaker with a difficult seaway. Trying to keep the boat settled in course with their autopilots remains testing and so they continue to maximize their time spent hand steering.

   Due to the Hugo Boss problems Spanish entry 1876 is now up to fourth whilst steady progress up the fleet continues for Michel Desjoyeaux and Jérémie Beyou who are up to seventh now on Foncia, overtaking Dee Caffari and Brian Thompson on Aviva during yesterday evening.

   Foncia’s next target is Desjoyeaux’s long time friend and rival Roland Jourdain on Veolia Environnement, just 40 miles ahead, but Veolia Environnement still have some lighter airs to cross while Foncia who were quickest in the fleet this morning, making two knots faster than the leaders.

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