The couple rescued after drifting aimlessly in the Atlantic for 40 days following the failure of their Dufour 43 yacht’s steering, have arrived in Amsterdam.

Stuart Armstrong, 51, from Stockport and his partner Andrea Davison, 48, from Newcastle, got into difficulty when their yacht’s rudder jammed hard over following a bearing failure.

Mr Armstrong and Miss Davison were rescued by the Italian tanker Indian Point. From the ship Stuart told YM he would write up the harrowing account of their ordeal.

The pair had been working in the Mediterranean for the summer and planned to sail to the Caribbean for the winter.

They were stranded when the rudder fault meant the vessel would only move in circles. Stuart added: “We spent the next 40 days dragging things from one side of the boat to the other and using makeshift rudders.
“We were rescued on the last day of our food and drink supplies, but we don’t have a scratch or a bruise on us.”