At 13:42hr on Saturday 22 September 2018, UK Coastguard requested the launch of Seahouses Inshore Lifeboat, to go to the assistance of 4 persons from two vehicles, cut off by the tide on Holy Island Causeway. The occupants had attempted to cross contrary to the displayed safe crossing times.
Early today, Golden Globe Race HQ finally received a satellite text message from Abhilash Tomy, the injured Indian solo sailor dismasted in the South Indian Ocean some 1,900 miles SW of Perth, Australia on Friday. ACTIVATED EPIRB.CANT WALK.MIGHT NEED STRETCHER Position: 39′ 25.297 S 077′ 30.629 E at 22 Sep 02:28 UTC
There has been no further communication with Abhilash Tomy, the 39-year old Indian Golden Globe Race skipper since his dramatic text message at 12:09 UTC today: ROLLED. DISMASTED. SEVERE BACK INJURY. CANNOT GET UP.
Dateline 21.9.2018 – Les Sables d’Olonne, Franc
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| Abhilash Tomy aboard Thuriya, a replica of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s yacht Suhail, winner of the first GGR 50 years ago. The yacht is now dismasted and her skipper injured some 1,900 miles west of Cape Leeuwin, Western Australia. |
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| Irishman Gregor McGuckin was also rolled and dismasted today in the same storm, and is closest to Tomy’s position. |
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| Dutchman Mark Slats was rolled twice today and is now braced for the same 70 knots winds to hit his position in a few hours. |
Solo sailors in the 2018 Golden Globe Race have been hit by a vicious storm mid way across the South Indian Ocean. The 70knot winds and 14m seas have left India’s Abhilash Tomy and Ireland’s Gregor McGuckin’s dismasted, and twice knocked down the yacht of 2nd placed Dutchman Mark Slats.
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The 23rd running of Europe’s largest and longest-running superyacht regatta, The Superyacht Cup Palma, will be held on Palma Bay, Mallorca, from 19–22 June 2019, the annual gathering again set to be a magnet attracting yacht owners, their friends, captains, crews and sponsors to the idyllic setting both on and off the water.
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73-year old Jean-Luc Van Den Heede continues to defy his age and best efforts of the chasing pack of Golden Globe Race skippers to extend his lead across the South Indian Ocean to 9+ days over the past week. The Frenchman is now a complete weather system ahead of his closest rivals and expects to pass Cape Leeuwin, the second of the three main Capes next weekend. He also remains on course for his compulsory stop in Hobart at the BoatShed.com film drop on October 3.
