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Excess Catamarans

Brazilian yacht stuck in ice sheet in Antarctica

by Merco Press/Sail-World Cruising on 8 Aug 2012
Mar Sem Fin (Endless Sea) below the ice in Antarctica SW
Tragic but what an amazing photo. The four cruising Brazilian crew members were taken off this yacht successfully when it sank in the Antarctic in April, likely due to ice compression and strong winds.

The 76ft yacht, Mar Sem Fin (Endless Sea), was photographed magnificently this week by http://ruschili.35photo.ru/photo_376902/!Ruslan_Elisleev, showing it stuck in the sheet of ice in Maxwell Bay, Ardley Cove, just in front of the Chilean Antarctic Base, Presidente Eduardo Frei.

The four crew members of the yacht were rescued unharmed and taken to the base. The vessel is owned by journalist and former president of Radio El Dorado, João Lara Mesquita, who was in the region producing a documentary.


According to the Brazilian Navy, the wrecking occurred probably due to the compression of the vessel by an accumulation of ice and the 60knot winds which impeded the vessel from moving.

Chilean and Brazilian personnel are working to impede the debris from drifting and any possible oil spill that could harm the environment.

The Chilean authorities said the four Brazilian crew were flown to Punta Arenas, extreme south of Chile from where they returned in a commercial flight to Brazil.

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