ID :
38670
Sat, 01/03/2009 - 16:27
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/38670
The shortlink copeid
Solo yachtsman to reach Hobart by Sunday
A solo Canadian yachtsman whose boat was badly damaged when it was upended in heavy seas in the Southern Ocean is expected to arrive in Hobart on Sunday morning where he'll be reunited with his young family.
Derek Hatfield retired from the Vendee Globe endurance race after his yacht, Algimouss Spirit of Canada, was battered by freezing winds on December 28.
He was below deck when the yacht was upended and its mast badly damaged.
Despite this, he was determined to continue and sail the 900 nautical miles to Hobart unaided.
"I've just made landfall on Maatsuyker Island, one of the outer islands on the south coast of Tasmania," Hatfield wrote in an email about 2pm (AEDT) on Saturday, Agence France-Presse reported.
"The landfall here has been a bit nerve-wracking as yesterday my GPS started operating sporadically and I have been expecting it to go down. I switched to the back-up GPS only to find it wasn't working as well."
Since making landfall he said he felt "much better" and would spend the night navigating his way up Storm Bay to Hobart.
"It will be a long night of motoring up Storm Bay but I am looking forward to getting ashore," he said.
The yacht is expected to dock about 1am, when he will reunite with his wife and two children, who have flown to Hobart to greet him.
Hatfield's spokesman Bruce Montgomery said the damage to his boat had forced the yachtsman to travel at significantly reduced speeds to get to Hobart.
"He's had to sail tentatively just to make sure his mast doesn't fall down. Instead of doing 18 knots, he is doing eight," Mr Montgomery said.
"He's been sailing like that since December the 28."
But he added: "He's fine, he's tired. But, he's in reasonable health given what he's gone through."
Hatfield was the 13th competitor to retire from the challenging Vendee Globe round-the-world race, which began on November 9 when a flotilla of 30 boats left the western French port of Les Sables d'Olonne.
French yachtsman Yann Elies was rescued by the Australian Navy Frigate HMAS Arunta and a Royal Flying Doctor medic after suffering a fractured femur in a fall on the deck of his yacht Generali in rough seas off the coast of Western Australia.
The 34-year-old dragged himself to his bunk but could not move for days while the Arunta sailed from 1,000km away to rescue him.
Elies underwent surgery a week ago and was discharged from Royal Perth on Tuesday afternoon.
Derek Hatfield retired from the Vendee Globe endurance race after his yacht, Algimouss Spirit of Canada, was battered by freezing winds on December 28.
He was below deck when the yacht was upended and its mast badly damaged.
Despite this, he was determined to continue and sail the 900 nautical miles to Hobart unaided.
"I've just made landfall on Maatsuyker Island, one of the outer islands on the south coast of Tasmania," Hatfield wrote in an email about 2pm (AEDT) on Saturday, Agence France-Presse reported.
"The landfall here has been a bit nerve-wracking as yesterday my GPS started operating sporadically and I have been expecting it to go down. I switched to the back-up GPS only to find it wasn't working as well."
Since making landfall he said he felt "much better" and would spend the night navigating his way up Storm Bay to Hobart.
"It will be a long night of motoring up Storm Bay but I am looking forward to getting ashore," he said.
The yacht is expected to dock about 1am, when he will reunite with his wife and two children, who have flown to Hobart to greet him.
Hatfield's spokesman Bruce Montgomery said the damage to his boat had forced the yachtsman to travel at significantly reduced speeds to get to Hobart.
"He's had to sail tentatively just to make sure his mast doesn't fall down. Instead of doing 18 knots, he is doing eight," Mr Montgomery said.
"He's been sailing like that since December the 28."
But he added: "He's fine, he's tired. But, he's in reasonable health given what he's gone through."
Hatfield was the 13th competitor to retire from the challenging Vendee Globe round-the-world race, which began on November 9 when a flotilla of 30 boats left the western French port of Les Sables d'Olonne.
French yachtsman Yann Elies was rescued by the Australian Navy Frigate HMAS Arunta and a Royal Flying Doctor medic after suffering a fractured femur in a fall on the deck of his yacht Generali in rough seas off the coast of Western Australia.
The 34-year-old dragged himself to his bunk but could not move for days while the Arunta sailed from 1,000km away to rescue him.
Elies underwent surgery a week ago and was discharged from Royal Perth on Tuesday afternoon.
