In the Golden Globe Race, the Norwegian skipper Are Wiig warned the race headquarters that he had dismasted during the day (16h30 UTC on 27 August 2018). His sailboat OE 32 (32 feet) was turned 360° and dismasted approximately 400 miles southwest of Cape Town.
The 58-year-old marine surveyor was in the cabin at the time of the occurrence. Outside the wind was blowing at 35-45 knots with troughs of 7 to 8 m. In the capsize a cabin window exploded, but the skipper indicated that he was not injured.
As a good sailor, he freed the mast and sails, still leaving the rigging attached by the forestay to the bow of the boat. So this rig is currently acting like a floating anchor.
Don McIntyre, the president of the GGR race, who responded to Wiig's emergency call, reported that the skipper"has not been able to get to the bottom of this was confident and in control. His windvane gear (the autopilot) had broken before the tragedy. Requiring the seaman to steer for 7 consecutive hours, just before turning around. Inside the boat, everything is upside down, but he plans to tidy up and monitor the situation, then develop a plan. He's got everything he needs to rig a makeshift rig. Are to confirm that he had not activated his EPIRB and that he did not need help at the moment. All its safety equipment is in good condition. Its satellite communications are working well and it has all the electricity it needs. "
The fleet of competitors in the Golden Globe Race was informed of the sinking, but as the skipper in difficulty did not ask for assistance, no boat was diverted to help him. Last night, Wiig called race headquarters to confirm that the situation on board was stable. He was preparing to repair the broken porthole and undertook to install a makeshift rig as soon as conditions allowed to move slowly towards Cape Town.
Remember that the Golden Globe Race is the only race that requires each competitor to set up a makeshift rig and sail with it to test it before the start. So the skippers know exactly how to approach the question in the event of a problem, precisely the situation of Are Wiig today!
