27 September at 0949

Plans are underway to salvage the Golden Globe Race yacht, Thuriya, which was left drifting in the Indian Ocean after the evacuation of her injured skipper, Abhilash Tomy.

The Suhaili replica was dismasted in a storm last Friday some 1,900 miles south west of Perth, Australia.

Tomy, who sustained serious back injuries when the yacht rolled through 360° by 15m high seas, is currently in hospital in Île Amsterdam having been rescued on Monday by the crew of the French patrol boat, Osiris.

The 39-year-old is expected to be transferred by helicopter to the Indian Navy frigate INS Satpura tomorrow (28 September) for ongoing medical treatment and returned to India.

In an official tweet from the Indian Navy, Tomy thanked all those involved in his rescue, which was co-ordinated by the Joint Rescue Co-ordingation Centre in Canberra and included assistance from the Indian Navy, the crew of the Osiris, La Reunion MRCC and HMAS BALLARAT.

“The sea was unbelievably rough. Me & my boat Thuriya were pitched against the nature’s might. I survived because of my sailing skills, the soldier bit in me and my Naval training cut-in for that fight – Cdr Abhilash Tomy. Very thankful to #IndianNavy & all who rescued me”

Tomy’s team manager, Capt. Dilip Donde reported that Thuriya’s skipper can now stand and is eating and drinking, but requires complete rest. He will be evacuated from Ile Amsterdam on a stretcher.

Capt. Donde also announced plans to salvage Tomy’s yacht Thuriya, The plan is for the Indian Navy to tow Thuriya to St Paul’s Island some 40 miles north, and leave a crew to make repairs and sail her to land.

Continues below…

Fellow competitor, Gregor McGuckin, whose Biscay 36, Hanley Energy Endurance was also dismasted, was also picked up by the crew of the Osiris having made the difficult decision to abandon the race. He had been trying to make his way to Tomy under jury rig and engine, but problems with his engine left him struggling to reach his injured team mate.

McGuckin is currently onboard the Australian frigate HMAS Ballarat, which picked him up from Ile Amsterdam.

The Irish skipper remains in good health, and is expected to arrive in Fremantle, Australia on 2 or 3 October.

McGuckin’s Biscay 36 Hanley Energy Endurance was also left drifting when the Osiris crew picked him off the yacht.

In a statement, Neil O’Hagen, spokesman for Team Ireland said:

‘During the controlled evacuation of Hanley Energy Endurance, McGuckin was instructed to leave the vessel afloat. The French fisheries patrol vessel Osiris instructed McGuckin that scuttling the vessel would be in breach of international maritime regulations. Hence, McGuckin removed all debris from the deck that could become separated, secured all equipment on board, and ensured the AIS beacon was active. The power source to the AIS device is solar panels which should remain active without any outside assistance reducing the risk to other vessels. Precautionary steps were also taken to ensure the relatively small amount of fuel onboard is secure.’

Meanwhile, the eight remaining Golden Globe Race skippers continue to race eastwards.

French leader Jean-Luc Van Den Heede sailing the Rustler 36 Matmut, passed the Cape Leeuwin longitude on Monday and is expected to arrive at the compulsory stop off Hobart on 3 or 4 October.

Latest positions at 09:00 UTC 27 September 2018

1 Jean- Luc VDH (FRA) Rustler 36 Matmut
2 Mark Slats (NED) Rustler 36 Ohpen Maverick
3 Uku Randmaa (EST) Rustler 36 One and All
4 Susie Goodall GBR) Rustler 36 DHL Starlight
5 Tapio Lehtinen (FIN) Gaia 36 Asteria
6 Istvan Kopar (USA) Tradewind 35 Puffin
7 Igor Zaretskiy (RUS) Endurance 35 Esmeralda
8 Mark Sinclair (Aus) Lello 34 Coconut

CHICHESTER CLASS
Loïc Lepage (FRA) Nicholson 32 Laaland

RETIRED
Ertan Beskardes (GBR) Rustler 36 Lazy Otter
Kevin Farebrother (AUS) Tradewind 35 Sagarmatha
Nabil Amra (PAL) Biscay 36 Liberty II
Philippe Péché (FRA) Rustler 36 PRB
Antoine Cousot (FRA) Biscay 36 Métier Intérim
Are Wiig (NOR) OE32 Olleanna
Gregor McGuckin (IRE) Biscay 36 Hanley Energy Endurance
Abhilash Tomy (IND) Suhaili replica Thuriya

Francesco Cappelletti (ITA) Endurance 35 007

26 September at 1345

Golden Globe Race skipper, Abhilash Tomy, has thanked all of those involved in his rescue.

The 39-year-old Indian Navy Commander’s Suhaili-replica yacht, Thuriya was dismasted on Friday, some 1,900 miles south west of Perth, Australia.

He injured his back and was confined to his bunk, unable to eat or drink.

Three days later he was picked up by the crew of a French patrol boat, Osiris, and taken to Île Amsterdam where Tomy was transferred to hospital for a full medical assessment.

In an official tweet from the Indian Navy, Tomy thanked all those involved in his rescue, which was co-ordinated by the Joint Rescue Co-ordingation Centre in Canberra and included assistance from the Indian Navy, the crew of the Osiris, La Reunion MRCC and HMAS BALLARAT.

“The sea was unbelievably rough. Me & my boat Thuriya were pitched against the nature’s might. I survived because of my sailing skills, the soldier bit in me and my Naval training cut-in for that fight – Cdr Abhilash Tomy. Very thankful to #IndianNavy & all who rescued me”

Fellow competitor, Gregor McGuckin, whose Biscay 36, Hanley Energy Endurance was also dismasted, was also picked up by the crew of the Osiris having made the difficult decision to abandon the race. He had been trying to make his way to Tomy under jury rig and engine, but problems with his engine left him struggling to reach his injured team mate.

24 September at 0849

Injured Golden Globe Race skipper, Abhilash Tomy has been rescued by the crew of a French patrol boat, Osiris.

The 39-year-old is reported to be conscious and talking.

His Suhaili-replica yacht, Thuriya was dismasted on Friday, some 1,900 miles south west of Perth, Australia.

The Indian Naval officer had reported to Race HQ that he couldn’t walk and had injured his back when his yacht was rolled 360 degrees in a storm in the Indian Ocean. He was confined to his bunk, unable to eat or drink.

Fellow competitor, Gregor McGuckin, whose Biscay 36, Hanley Energy Endurance was also dismasted, had been trying to make his way to Tomy under jury rig and engine, but problems with his engine left him struggling to reach his injured team mate.

The crew of the Osiris have now rescued McGuckin, who asked for a controlled evacuation, feeling it was the responsible option to take now that all rescue assets were in place.

In a statement, Neil O’Hagan, who is part of McGuckin’s shore team, said the Irish skipper’s condition was good and has suffered  ‘nothing more than bumps and bruises’.

‘In an incredible show of seamanship, the 32-year-old Irishman managed to build a jury rig and hand steer his yacht Hanley Energy Endurance for the past four days to within 30 miles of his fellow competitor in order to be on site to assist with the rescue if required,’ said O’Hagan.

‘McGuckin did not declare an emergency for his own situation despite being rolled over and losing his mast. However, given the extremely remote location and the condition of his yacht, it was deemed the appropriate course of action to abandon his yacht under a controlled evacuation scenario as the opportunity arose. The considered move ensures in the event that his own situation deteriorated in any attempt to reach land in the coming weeks a second rescue mission would not be required,’ the statement added.

Osiris, which has full medical facilities onboard, is now heading to Île Amsterdam where Tomy will be transferred to hospital for a full medical assessment.

23 September at 11.15am

A major rescue mission is underway to save Golden Globe Race skipper Abhilash Tomy, who is currently injured aboard his dismasted yacht, Thuriya.

The 39-year-old has reported that he can’t walk and is currently confined to his bunk, unable to eat or drink.

His Suhaili-replica yacht was dismasted on Friday, some 1,900 miles south west of Perth, Australia.

Overnight, the Indian Navy flew over the disabled Thuriya. Tomy was unable to communicate with the crew onboard the aircraft due to his radio’s flat batteries.

An aircraft from the Australian JRCC Search and Rescue was due to fly over Tomy this morning and his fellow competitor Irishman Gregor McGuckin, who is making his way to Tomy’s position under jury rig and motor.

McGuckin’s Biscay 36, Hanley Energy Endurance was also dismasted in the same storm as Tomy, and is currently 30 miles away from the Indian Naval officer.

The Irish yachtsman reported that he had utilised his spinnaker pole to rig a simple jury rig but found that the alloy tube was bending in heavy gusts. He is also having trouble with the engine, which keeps stopping.

Golden Globe Race organisers are providing him with regular range and bearing details.

The storm is expected to abate from 1800 UTC today, with winds dropping to 15 knots by tomorrow.

Tomy’s latest message to Golden Globe Race HQ sent at 21:57 UTC last night read: ‘CAN MOVE TOES. FEEL NUMB. CAN’T EAT OR DRINK. TOUGH 2 REACH GRAB BAG’

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC)  in Canberra has picked up Thuriya’s emergency signals and is now co-ordinating a multinational rescue mission.

The Australian authorities are also repositioning a search and rescue plane to Reunion Island to assist in the rescue mission together with the Anzac class frigate HMAS Ballerat which is preparing to leave Perth.

She will take 4-5 days to reach the area but has a helicopter and full medical facilities onboard.

Much closer is the French fisheries patrol vessel Osiris, which expects to reach Thuriya some time Sunday PM UTC. She also has medical facilities onboard.

Independently, Indian authorities have diverted the Indian Navy’s stealth frigate INS Satpura, and tanker INS Jyoti Mission from exercises off South Africa to assist in the rescue.

Meanwhile, Estonian Golden Globe Race skipper Uku Randmaa, currently 400 miles west of the two distressed yachts will take three days to reach the area, and plans to assist McGuckin.

Dutchman Mark Slats,  who is some 250 miles south west of the rescue area, has been excused from turning back to assist.

He is still facing 40-knot winds and 15m seas and was washed overboard during one of several knockdowns early today, but saved by his safety tether.

Slats reports that he has never seen conditions as bad.

One wave crashed down on his boat Ophen Maverick, smashed through the companionway washboards and flooded the yacht’s electrics causing a small fire, which was quickly extinguished.

 

21 September at 17.25

Golden Globe Race organisers are reporting that Abhilash Tomy’s Suhaili replica, Thuriya has been dismasted during a storm  in the Indian Ocean.

The Indian naval officer is reported to have sustained a back injury and is unable to move.

It is unclear if it is the yacht’s main or mizzen mast.

A code red alert has been issued after Race HQ received this message from Tomy.

‘ROLLED, DISMASTED, SEVERE BACK INJURY, CANNOT GET UP’.

Maritime Rescue Authorities have been alerted.

GGR Race HQ have asked Tomy to confirm to them if he can turn on his satellite phone, if the mast is still alongside the yacht and if he has turned his EPIRB on, and are still waiting for a response, according to the latest press release.

The 39-year-old, who holds the record as the first Indian to complete a solo, unassisted, non-stop circumnavigation under sail, which he completed in 2013, had previously informed Race HQ that he had been knocked down, which split Thuriya’s mizzen boom. He also lost his AIS antenna.

The nearest yacht to Tomy is Gregor McGuckin’s Biscay 36 Hanley Energy Endurance, which is 90 miles to the south west of Thuriya.

McGuckin is currently coping with his own dismasting, and is reported not to be injured while he decides how to make it to the nearest safe port.

This section of the race fleet are currently been battered by 70knot winds and 15 metre seas.

For those towards the back of the race, another weather system is going to bring extreme conditions over the next 24 hours.

Race Chairman, Don McIntyre said Race HQ had been advising the Golden Globe Race skippers about the weather.

‘Race HQ has been advising the middle fleet to head south past two days and tail-enders to move north as far as possible to minimise the impact of these two storms. The skipper succeeded in doing this but these weather systems still have an impact.’

21 September at 16.17

Gregor McGuckin’s Golden Globe Race dream is over after a storm rolled his Biscay 36 Hanley Energy Endurance, 360 degrees and left the yacht dismasted in the Indian Ocean.

The 32-year-old, who is not injured, has cut away the rig and is now trying to decide how best to make it safely port.

Speaking to race HQ, McGuckin reported: ‘I’ve got rolled the main mast is gone.’

At the time, he was sailing downwind on bare poles with warps, and reported gusts of up to 70 knots and 12 metre high seas.

Just a few hours earlier the Irish skipper was knocked down, which broke his yacht’s mizzen mast.

Describing the conditions, McGuckin said: ‘The sea is just savage. I was going down a swell and a monster (wave) came in from the other side, there was nothing I could have done. I was lying on the roof but it came back up. I’m a bit bruised but ok. The gusts must have been 70 knots.’

McGuckin is now the second Golden Globe Race skipper to be rolled over. Norwegian Are Wiig was forced to abandon the race and head to Cape Town under jury rig at the end of August after being rolled and dismasted.

‘Typical, I’m at the furthest point from land in the Indian Ocean,’ noted McGuckin, who when asked what he will do next said: ‘I will sleep on it for now’.

He has a number of options including asking for rescue from a passing ship or a fellow competitor, or sailing the 2,000 miles to Australia under jury rig.

The dismasting of Gregor McGuckin’s yacht means there are now just nine skippers left in the Golden Globe Race.

Meanwhile, the storm is also causing problems for other skippers.

Indian naval officer, Abhilash Tomy’s Suhaili replica, Thuriya has been knocked down and he is now dealing with a split mizzen boom and a lost AIS antenna. He remains in third place, less than 150 miles behind second placed Mark Slats.

The Dutch skipper aboard his Rustler 36, Ohpen Maverick has also been knocked down twice, but is ok, and is reporting 60 knot winds.

Istvan Kopar’s Tradewind 35 cutter, Puffin has also been knocked down, and was forced to pump out his cabin.

‘GOT KNOCKED DOWN 0430Z I AM OK PUMPED OUT CABIN RIG OK BUT NO WORKING PHONE or VHF ETC. HOVE TO FOR THE TIME BEING,’ he texted race HQ.

For those towards the back of the fleet, another weather system is going to bring extreme conditions over the next 24 hours.

Latest positions at 15:00 UTC 21 September 2018

1 Jean- Luc VDH (FRA) Rustler 36 Matmut
2 Mark Slats (NED) Rustler 36 Ohpen Maverick
3 Abhilash Tomy (IND) Suhaili replica Thuriya
4 Uku Randmaa (EST) Rustler 36 One and All
5 Susie Goodall GBR) Rustler 36 DHL Starlight
6 Istvan Kopar (USA) Tradewind 35 Puffin
7 Tapio Lehtinen (FIN) Gaia 36 Asteria
8 Igor Zaretskiy (RUS) Endurance 35 Esmeralda
9 Mark Sinclair (Aus) Lello 34 Coconut

CHICHESTER CLASS
Loïc Lepage (FRA) Nicholson 32 Laaland

RETIRED
Ertan Beskardes (GBR) Rustler 36 Lazy Otter
Kevin Farebrother (AUS) Tradewind 35 Sagarmatha
Nabil Amra (PAL) Biscay 36 Liberty II
Philippe Péché (FRA) Rustler 36 PRB
Antoine Cousot (FRA) Biscay 36 Métier Intérim
Are Wiig (NOR) OE32 Olleanna
Gregor McGuckin (IRE) Biscay 36 Hanley Energy Endurance

Francesco Cappelletti (ITA) Endurance 35 007