While taking part in the 2017 Transat Jacques Vabre with his co-skipper Christopher Pratt, Éric Defert saw his boat capsize by the bow off the Azores. It is night, and while Éric is inside the central hull, Christopher is on deck. Finally, the latter manages to get to safety on the boat. Rescued by a Dutch freighter the next day, Eric is nevertheless forced to abandon his boat. And he will not find it again soon, due to a faulty beacon
In February 2019, Eric learned that his boat had been found on the other side of the Atlantic, in the Bahamas. Upside down, this 15 m long and wide multi50 had crossed the deep blue sea from east to west on its own. He went to the site to assess the damage and decided, in collaboration with a specialist on site, to right his boat.
For several days, the men filled sandbags with sand to create ballast which they attached to the port float of the trimaran. This righting operation is delicate and requires a depth of 10m. It was therefore decided to take the boat out of the lagoon. In spite of the power of the motorboat's engine and the ballasts, the boat does not turn over. The operation must therefore be repeated and it will finally be after 10 days that the Multi50 will be turned over.
If there are holes in some places, the general condition of the boat is pretty good and Eric decides to give it a second life. Secured in a cyclone hole, the boat now awaits repatriation by cargo ship to Brittany. An operation that can only be carried out with the support of several partners. While the Drekan Group continues to support the sailor, he is looking for new shareholders to repatriate, repair and rearm his boat. He would like to take part in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2021 but also organise scientific expeditions.
Discover in video the long procedure put in place to get the Multi50 Groupe Drekan to the right place.
