At 11:45 GMT today there was a dramatic recue deep in the South Indian Ocean. The 17,000 tonne bulk carrier CSK Radiance, having been diverted earlier in the week at the request of MRCC Reunion, located the stricken yacht Hayai with skipper Nico Budel on board and effected a flawless mid-ocean recue.
Budel, a 69 year old grandfather of five was racing the second leg of the Portimão Global Ocean Race when the lead bulb of his keel separated from the keel fin. While the bulb was still attached at the time of the rescue, and the boat was upright, the danger of the bulb coming loose and the boat capsizing was imminent. For the last three days Budel has been sailing north out of the Southern Ocean in an attempt to avoid violent storms that are forecast for the area. On Sunday night Hayai experienced gale force winds of 62 knots while Nico prepared to abandon ship.
“The conditions for rescue were not ideal,” said Race Director Josh Hall, who along with MRCC Reunion and the captain of the ship coordinated the rescue. “There was a seven metre swell running and a moderate wind of around 20 knots making it difficult to maneuver a ship the size of Radiance alongside a small yacht. Clearly Captain Singson and his crew are highly experienced seamen and we thank them profusely for not only diverting to help Nico, but also for their skill and determination in pulling off a successful operation.”
The rescue brings to an end three days of high anxiety for Nico, his family, friends and the larger global community of Portimão Global Ocean Race fans who have been following every move. Their collective good wishes kept the keel bulb attached to the keel fin and the boat upright until CSK Radiance was on station for the rescue. Nico first noticed that the keel bulb had separated from the blade when the fastenings that run from the lead bulb to the top of the keel were loose. Upon further inspection it was clear that there was a major issue when he observed the bulb at a 20 degree angle to the blade and felt it banging around.
“It was very clear to me that the bulb would have separated from the blade and the boat would have capsized.” Hall continued. “The only prudent course of action was to get Nico off the boat and onto another vessel as quickly as possible. We were in touch with all relevant maritime rescue stations and in conjunction with my assistant Alan Green we coordinated the diversion of CSK Radiance to go to Nico’s aid. We are overwhelmingly grateful to MRCC Reunion for their level of expertise and very pleased that Nico, a superb seaman in his own right, was safely transferred from Hayai to CSK Radiance.”
The tracking device on board Hayai continues to send position reports, however the boat has been scuttled meaning that it will sink within a few hours. This is a prudent course of action to ensure that Hayai does not present any danger to maritime traffic.