The Vendée Globe organisers’ faith in the experience and competence of the Australian Navy when it comes to rescues in the southern ocean was fully justified.
Rather than wait for a naval doctor, the frigate Arunta set out with a civilian.
Knowing the conditions and the forecast, and mindful of the difficulties of using a helicopter to lift someone off a boat with a tall mast in a heavy swell, they used a large RIB.
The weather overnight was better than forecast, so they arrived 3 hours ahead of their original ETA, leaving Sam Davies still out of sight.
Marc Guillemot filmed part of the operation .
According to the commander of HMAS Arunta:
“He does have a broken femur, that’s clear. He’s probably got some broken ribs and he has probably got some other injuries which the doctor and his team are assessing. At the moment we’re heading north to provide him with more care ashore. He’s in good spirits though and he’s just about to ring his wife! It took about 45 minutes — probably took longer to find his passport, which he had hidden pretty well, but we got that!”
Meanwhile, Generali has been left as she was, under heavily reefed main and small jib, slowly working her way north. The Generali team will collect her and bring her ashore in due course.
