Vendee - Jean Le Cam's distress beacon triggered at 01-40 GMT
by Vendee media on 6 Jan 2009
Jean Le Cam on VM Matériaux made distress call to his shore team this morning at 00:26 GMT Vendee Globe 2008
http://www.vendeeglobe.org
At 00:26 GMT Jean Le Cam informed his shore team that he was in distress two hundred miles west of Cape Horn. A cargo ship and a plane are on their way to the area to intervene as quickly as possible.
Le Cam, onboard VM Matériaux, was able to telephone his shore team in France to inform that he was experiencing serious difficulties on board his monohull. It was possible that he was capsizing, as the phone went dead at that point.
Chile is three hours behind GMT: in Punta Arenas, the sun goes down 01:00 GMT and comes up at 08:30 GMT. It was therefore dark where Le Cam when his distress beacon was triggered at 01:40 GMT.
The boat was located around 200 miles West of Cape Horn. At the time, the weather conditions were generating 25-knot westerly to south-westerly winds with stronger gusts.
The Intrnational Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre (MRCC) contacted a cargo ship 65 miles from the position of VM Matériaux, as identified by the Sarsat-Cospas beacon: the ship is expected to reach the area at around 10:30 GMT. A Chilean spotter plane is being prepared to head for the zone at daybreak, at around 08:30 GMT.
Vincent Riou (PRB) and Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air) have changed course to go to the zone where Jean Le Cam was sailing. They should reach this zone at around 13:00h (GMT).
Jean Le Cam was in third position, 460 miles behind the race leaders, Michel Desjoyeaux and Roland Jourdain, when the distress call was received. Vincent Riou and Armel Le Cléac’h were just under 200 miles behind Le Cam at the time.
The plan of action will be updated as information is received by the Race Directors.
www.vendeeglobe.org
If you want to link to this article then please use this URL: www.sail-world.com/52550
