• A Swedish sailboat with three occupants on board reported in difficulty off Hourtin on Thursday morning.

  • Despite several unsuccessful attempts, its towing proved impossible due to weather conditions.

  • A trawler stayed by his side for two days, in particular to reassure passengers.

He reported being in trouble Thursday at 7:31 a.m. precisely.

It took until Saturday evening, 7:30 p.m., and milder weather conditions, to allow its towing to Port-Médoc, at the tip of the Verdon (Gironde).

In the meantime, the three occupants of the

Marina

, a Swedish sailboat which was in the Bay of Biscay off Hourtin (Gironde), will have experienced sixty hours of anguish.

The alert had been given after total damage to the rudder (part of the rudder).

This is how the 13-meter sailboat was adrift when it was approached by the cargo ship

Lazurite

on Thursday at 9:30 a.m., then flown over by a French Navy plane an hour later.

Helicopter diver and broken tow line

“At 11.30 a.m., contact was established with the fishing vessel

Lagardère 2

, then about 30 nautical miles from the

Marina

, and able to intervene despite the arrival of storm Diego, says the maritime prefecture of the Atlantic.

The ship arrives near the sailboat at 8:22 p.m.

Bad weather conditions prevent it from passing a tow line.

He still supervised the

Marina

throughout the night and reassured his three crew members.

»

Friday at 7:35 a.m., a meteorological lull made it possible to engage the Dauphin helicopter of the French Navy based in La Rochelle.

“Arrived in the area at 8:19 a.m., he hoisted his diver who set up a tow line between the

Marina

and the

Lagardère 2

to control the drift of the sailboat, then 45 nautical miles from Hourtin.

“Unfortunately, “the line breaks at 11:32.

»

The trawler remains nearby until Saturday morning.

The weather conditions then allowed a canoe from the National Society for Sea Rescue (SNSM) to "pass a new tow" and lead the sailboat and its three passengers safe and sound to Port-Médoc, where they docked at 7:30 p.m.

Company

The adventurer Guirec Soudée embarks on offshore racing (but without his hen)

Did you see ?

Spain: The dealers pretended an orca attack to be towed to the port

  • Bordeaux

  • Aquitaine

  • Storm

  • Ocean

  • Sailing ship

  • Company