Guy deBoer (USA) sailing in the 2022 Golden Globe Race has crashed into rocks at night on the north coast of Fuerteventura, Las Palmas in the Canaries.
His yacht Spirit is now stranded but he is safe.
South African GGR entrant Kirsten Neuschäfer (RSA) relayed deBoer’s VHF radio Mayday call to GGR Race Control on Friday morning at 03:10 am UTC.
Guy’s Tashiba 36 had run aground on the North coast of Fuerteventura, just 10 miles from the Lanzarote Marina Rubicon film drop gate he had passed a few hours before.
He had activated his EPIRB and at 04:24 UTC rang the GGR Race control on his Sat phone.
Spirit was sitting on rocks, away from the beach, tilting 45°, being pounded by heavy seas crashing over the boat.
The surf was pushing her slowly forward grinding over rocks. Guy who was in constant contact with Salvamento Maritimo, the local Rescue Coordination Center and GGR Race Control, was in a serious situation.
The mood was very different earlier that night and the day before as a freshly shaved Guy deBoer went through the Lanzarote Gate happy and confident to be in 5th position.
He had his life raft ready, but decided to remain inside Spirit, which was holding up. He planned to wait for daylight since he could not see the coast. The conditions for a safe use of the life raft, or exit onto the rocks beaten by the surf were not right.
At 04:36 UTC Guy finally abandoned his yacht by foot, greatly assisted by the local police and firefighters.
Guy was taken to a local hotel without injuries.
Following an early morning Government assessment, it was considered too difficult to tow Spirit back to sea at high water.
The authorities decided to pump all fuel from the boat to avoid a potential spill and are now working with Guy deBoer’s team and an insurance company on salvaging the Tashiba 36 with the least environmental impact.
2022 Golden Globe Race
On 4 September sixteen skippers departed Les Sables d’Olonne for a 30,000 mile nine month race around the world.
The Golden Globe Race is a solo non stop voyage sailing small 32-36 ft old fashion yachts without technology and no assistance.
The 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race made history delivering the first ever solo non-stop unassisted voyage around the world. Nine started, one finished, one died, one boat was lost. The legend of this amazing adventure was born.
More race information here . . .
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