(October 31, 2015; Day 6) – Alex Thomson and Guillermo Altadill, skippers of yacht IMOCA 60 HUGO BOSS in the doublehanded Transat Jacques Vabre, set off their emergency beacon this afternoon at 13.25UT. The Spanish Coastguard was informed and sent a rescue helicopter to their location 82 nautical miles from the Spanish coast. Both Alex and Guillermo were rescued from the location by helicopter and are on their way back to land.
After the race start on October 25, the team reported on October 28 that HUGO BOSS incurred some structural damage, and Alex and Guillermo had hove to at 15:00 to address the problems. Later that day, after making a repair, they made the decision to return to shore to better analyze the situation.
The skippers were on route to A Coruna where the technical team were waiting to meet them. After sailing for a period of 36 hours in high seas and strong winds, the structure of the boat deteriorated further and the boat started to take on water and sink. The technical team are in A Coruna, Spain awaiting further information from the coast guard.
“Our first concern is with Alex and Guillermo and when they are safely on the ground we will address the situation with our IMOCA 60 and begin the salvage process,” commented Managing Director Stewart Hosford. “We are grateful for the swift response from the rescue services in this situation.”
Read full article here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2015/10/31/coast-guard-rescue-for-hugo-boss/
Related article: Transat Jacque Vabre: Macif et Sodebo Ultima Grande Vitesse Dans Les Alizes
Agnes Mitchell 