I was going to wait until tomorrow before writing about the Vendée Globe, but this is serious – with a happy outcome. News on the Vendée Globe site is a bit fragmented, but here is what I have found:
- Photos (taken by a Chilean Air Force pilot, I believe) show Le Cam’s boat, VM Matériaux, upside down in water so clear that you can see most of the rig. The keel has lost its bulb.
- A large tanker has been standing by, had sounded a foghorn, but could not contact Le Cam, so no-one knew whether he was alive.
- A trawler and an ocean tug were also diverted towards the scene.
- Vincent Riou and Armel Le Cléac’h diverted to assist. Riou arrived first. Their intention was to try to make contact – by chucking cans of food at Le Cam’s boat, if nothing else worked.
- When Riou arrived, he saw a buoy wth a flag on it, and yelled. Le Cam yelled back. He was trapped in the forward part of the boat, because the stern was to deeply immersed.
- Le Cam decided to leave the boat (skippers practice this manoeuvre in calm, reasonably warm water as part of the boat’s qualification process) and float alongside it.
- Riou managed, on the fourth attempt, to get close enough to Le Cam at a slow enough speed for the latter to climb on board PRB.
- On the last pass, PRB’s port outrigger fouled VM Matériaux’ keel. PRB is now sailing on starboard tack, heavily reefed in light winds, while Riou and Le Cam see if they can repair the outrigger.
- The Chilean Navy had dispatched a helicopter, which was contacted and returned to base as soon as Riou had rescued Le Cam.
Now we have to wait to hear more details of how it happened, and whether Le Cam needs any medical attention.
