British solo skipper\u00a0Ian Herbert-Jones has activated his EPIRB while in a serious storm in the South Atlantic whilst sailing in the Golden Globe Race: rescue underwayIan Herbert-Jones (GBR) on board ‘Puffin’.<\/p>\n
UPDATED: Golden Globe Race organisers have issued a \u2018Code Red\u2019 update after British solo skipper\u00a0Ian Herbert-Jones activated his EPIRB while in a serious storm in the South Atlantic.
\nWinds are understood to be over 50 knots, with estimated gusts of 70-88 knots, and the sea state is believed to be around 6.5-7.5m.
\nPuffin, Herbert-Jones\u2019s Tradewind 35 has been rolled and dismasted, and Herbert-Jones has a cut to his head and a back injury. The Argentinian MRCC are co-ordinating a rescue.<\/p>\n
A post on the Golden Globe Race Facebook page by the organisers at around 2000hrs BST first reported the situation:<\/p>\n
\u201cSITUATION : PUFFIN has activated his EPIRB\u2026.GGR TRACKING now set at 15 minutes. At 1540UTC Ian Herbert Jones SKIPPER PUFFIN rang GGR on Iridium phone to advise that he was in extreme weather with no sail up trying to hand steer downwind , the yacht was laid over often \u2026There was a small amount of water down below. It was a bad connection and I lost contact.
\n\u201cAt 1550UTC IAN called again\u2026he had activated his EPIRB , could not launch his drogue as the cockpit hatch was underwater, was under bare poles, had been washed out of the cockpit twice and was struggling to keep the boat sailing down wind.
\n\u201cHe explained he activated the EPIRB as he could not initially make Iridium phone contact and wanted someone to know his situation. I advised him he must launch his drogue if possible to assist down wind control\u2026and that the extreme weather will last at least another five hours. He is trying to do that.
\n\u201cThere is only 8 inches of water over the cabin sole. He thinks this is leakage through the cockpit\u2026the manual bilge pump is working so he is not sinking. The mast is secure. All safety equipment onboard is secure. His electrical system is low in power.<\/p>\n
Ian Herbert Jones (52) is sailing a Tradewind 35 Puffin, here pictured at the race\u2019s Lanzarote Film Drop. Photo: Nora Havel \/ GGR2022<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked him to call again in one hour. Approx 1700UTC. He is using the iridium phone in the cockpit. MRCC may have trouble trying to ring him because of the noise and he may switch off the phone between contacts. I advised him to leave the EPIRB on. The activated EPIRB is listed as coming from his abandoned ship GRAB bag\u2026this is unusual and I believe a mistake. He is on the boat and it would be the EPIRB from in the Yachts cabin\u2026.he has NOT abandoned the ship.
\n\u201cI made Ian aware that he needs to manage this extreme weather best possible until it starts to drop in five hours.
\n\u201cSITUATION : ALERT BUTTON ON YB3 Manually Pressed. ACTIVATED! At 1725UTC Message received at GGR from PUFFIN YELLOW-BRICK YB3 satellite tracking and texting unit advising \u201d Button ALERT\u2026. 46., 57.250S 037, 12.382W \u201d This means that Ian has manually gone to the YB3 unit and manually lifted a safety cover and pressed the distress alert button of the YB3 Satellite texting unit.
\n\u201cThis is recognised by GGR as a distress protocol for all GGR entrants. This would suggest he is definitely in a distress situation. He had not called GGR at the requested 1 hour update time. He was 25 Minutes overdue from that requested Phone Update. At the time of the ALERT BUTTON activation the Windy forecast weather was SW40Kt Gusting 88Kt and 7.7mtr SEA.
\nA screen grab issued by Golden Globe Race organisers to show Herbert-Jones\u2019 position and forecast conditions on April 10, 2023.<\/p>\n
\u201cMRCC Argentina is now managing the Rescue operation. Further updates as they come available.\u201d
\nAt around 2100hrs this evening the Facebook page for Ian Herbert-Jones\u2019 Golden Globe Race entry posted: \u201cUPDATE \u2013 Ian has made contact with GGR \u2013 Puffin rolled, she is dismasted, he has injured his back and it\u2019s hard to move, there\u2019s 2ft of water in the cabin, the situation is worsening and he needs a weather break to cut the rig free\u2026\u2026\u2026we are waiting further updates via GGR from MRCC who are coordinating the rescue \u2013 we\u2019re all with you Ian\u201d
\nAt 2200hrs the Golden Globe organisers confirmed that Herbert-Jones had been rolled, dismasted, was injured, and Puffin had taken on water:
\n\u201cUPDATE FR\/ENG : Position @ 1842 UTC 46\u00b0 54.24S, 037\u00b0 12.604W Vessel GPS SOG 3.4 & Heading: @ 36.85
\nWeather: SW 50 knots, gusting 70 knots 6.5M SEA
\n\u201cSITUATION : PUFFIN ROLLED DISMASTED Skipper injured.
\n1842 UTC PUFFIN YB3 TEXT message received \u2013 Rolled Dismasted , injured Back, hard to move, 2ft water in boat.
\n1844 UTC PUFFIN YB3 TEXT Message received \u2013 Situation getting worse..need weather break to cut rig from PUFFIN.
\n\u201cMRCC Argentina are co-ordinating the RESCUE efforts. There is a ship close by they are attempting to contact. at 2125UTC he rang to advise he has stopped the water ingress into the boat. He is part way through cutting the rig away in extreme conditions as it is impacting the hull. He had also gashed his head and his back is getting stiff.\u00a0
\n\u201cA full report will be released in the next hour or so. We thank all those currently assisting with Ian\u2019s recovery.\u201d
\nIan Herbert-Jones is currently approximately 1,200 miles east of Argentina. He is\u00a0the last competitor in the solo \u2018retro\u2019\u00a0Golden Globe Race, which set off in September 2022.\u00a0
\nHerbert-Jones was sailing in the \u2018Chichester\u2019 division after previously making a stop in Tierra de Fuego to repair his steering gear. On the approach to Cape Horn last month, he experienced some of the worst conditions of any competitor in the 2022 Golden Globe Race, with several days of intense storms\u00a0as he approached Cape Horn including 60-knot gusts and 7 metres seas.
\nAs the last competitor in the race, Herbert-Jones was later to round Cape Horn. Speaking to our sister title Yachting Monthly\u00a0in February ahead of the rounding he said: \u2018I do not mind admitting at all that I am very apprehensive [about rounding Cape Horn so late in the season]. I know it can get serious very quickly down there.\u2019<\/p>\n
Ian Herbert-Jones leaving the anchorage off Cape Horn where he had made repairs to Puffin before resuming the solo Golden Globe Race in \u2018Chichester\u2019 division.\u00a0Photo: GGR
\nHaving made repairs he restarted from southernmost Argentina at the end of March.\u00a0His nearest fellow solo skipper, Jeremy Bagshaw, is over 1600 miles north.
\nHerbert-Jones, from Shropshire, England, is sailing\u00a0Puffin, a Tradewind 35 cutter. Puffin\u00a0had previously finished the 2018 Golden Globe Race in 4th place for skipper Istvan Kopar, despite steering issues and several knockdowns.
\nHerbert-Jones had previously completed a circumnavigate with the crewed Clipper Round the World Race and was formerly an engineer in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in the British Army.<\/p>\n
The post BREAKING: Golden Globe Race skipper activates EPIRB in 80-knot storm appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
British solo skipper\u00a0Ian Herbert-Jones has activated his EPIRB while in a serious storm in the South Atlantic whilst sailing in the Golden Globe Race: rescue underwayIan Herbert-Jones (GBR) on board ‘Puffin’. UPDATED: Golden Globe Race organisers have issued a \u2018Code … <\/p>\n