A Class 40 yacht has been abandoned in the North Atlantic after a collision.

The yacht, Orca, competed in last year’s transatlantic Route du Rhum and was making its way back to Europe, when the incident occured yesterday morning.

Falmouth Coastguard was contacted at 1150 and was told that the yacht had suffered rigging failure.

Both men onboard, Richard Tolkien and an unknown second, are now heading for the Cape Verde Islands on an oil tanker named African Spirit, which is believed – although it is as yet unconfirmed – to have collided with the racing yacht.

Orca is jointly owned by Mr Tolkien, Natalie Jobling and Tom Hayhoe, all Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) members and is based on the Hamble.

YM’s news editor Dick Durham spend a day on board Orca last year. Click here to read his account.

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