Sailing grandmother Jeanne Socrates, 67, who is under tow from a Chilean fishing vessel having been knocked down in her Najad 38, Nereida, off Cape Horn in 70 knot winds, has had a very unlucky sailing career.

In 2009 she was wrecked 60 miles short of a solo circumnavigation and early last year he hopes of making a solo, non-stop circumnavigation were dashed when she had to put into Cape Town to make rigging repairs.

Now the Chilean Navy is standing by to take her tow from the fishing boat and pull her into Puerto Williams, in Tierra del Fuego. Her yacht, has suffered a knockdown, a rope around the propeller and a broken boom in seas up to 6 metres high and with winds gusting to 70 knots.

Staff at Falmouth Coastguard liaised with coastguards in Chile, Spain and the USA, as well as members of a radio ham network, to ensure that Jeanne was able to get assistance from the Chilean Coastguard.