Abandoned yacht retrieved after amazing 500nm tow

by Sail-World Cruising round-up on 4 Dec 2009 The lone Swiss/German sailor attempting a non-stop double circumnavigation has retrieved his yacht by towing it an amazing 500nm with the help of a fisherman (See original Sail-World http://www.sail-world.com/Cruising/Swiss-solo-sailor-successfully-rescued-after-whale-strike/63653!story).

Sailing south west from Bluff on the south coast of New Zealand, the cray fishing boat called X.S., with four crew including the rescued sailor onboard located the lost yacht and successfully towed it back to land in a salvage operation that took 50 hours to complete.

Bluff fisherman Vaughan Fisher said it was the longest tow he had ever attempted.

Bernt Luchtenborg, a renowned long-distance sailor, was sailing about 430nm from New Zealand when the rudder on his yacht Horizons was badly damaged by what is presumed to be a whale. He had left Cuxhaven in Germany on 27th June this year and at the time of the incident was five months into his attempt to solo double-circumnavigate the globe unassisted and non-stop. After calling distress he was picked up by the cruise liner Seven Seas Mariner which was on its way to Milford Sound.

The fishing boat was contracted by Mr Luchtenbor's insurers. Luchtenborg's wife had been plotting the yacht's drift after the incident, and he told reporters later that the boat was 'very easy to find.'

However, the long-experienced sailor has abandoned his original quest. Speaking from on board the 15.84m yacht, Mr Luchtenborg planned to return to Germany as soon as his boat was repaired. The decision comes less than a week after he vowed to continue his expedition as soon as his yacht was salvaged.

While he was elated to be reunited with his yacht it had sustained additional damage in the days since he abandoned ship, he said. As well as the rudder damage, the yacht had been swamped by rough seas, the weather vane was broken and the automatic pilot system was damaged.

He planned to stay in Bluff until parts arrived to repair the yacht before sailing for home, he said.

For more information about Bernt Luchtenborg, go to his http://www.sail2horizons.com/!website, but you will need to be able to read German.