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The scenario could have turned tragic on Monday February 3 off Carry le Rouet. In the middle of an easterly wind, the grounding of an unmanned Dufour 28 triggered a vast search operation, before a more reassuring outcome late in the evening.
Single-handed sailing in poor conditions
The seas were very rough in the early evening on the Côte Bleue, with a south-easterly wind blowing at around 30 knots and visibility severely reduced under the squalls.
The SNSM of Carro, then the CROSS MED, were alerted by a concerned relative of the 63-year-old skipper. The man had left La Ciotat in the morning aboard a Dufour 28, bound for Carry le Rouet. He was sailing alone and had told his son that he was having serious difficulties in the conditions he was encountering.
Easterly gales are dreaded on this stretch of coastline, as they generally kick up a short swell in which it's difficult to make headway.
A major research program underway
As soon as the alert was received, the emergency services launched a large-scale air-sea search operation. A French Navy Dauphin helicopter was deployed, alongside the Marseille SNSM patrol boat Bonne Mère and the Carro SNSM patrol boat Arnette.
Boats from the Marseille Fire Brigade and land patrols from SDIS 13 also took part in the search, in coordination with CROSS MED. In the middle of the night, conditions were very tough, even for these seasoned and well-trained crews.
Sailboat found stranded and deserted
At around 9.30pm, the SNSM located the yacht in an unfortunate situation. She was aground at the entrance to the port of Carry le Rouet, obviously badly damaged by the sea. No one on board.
The nature of the situation then changes. The system switched to a man-overboard search, with the fear of a fall into cold, choppy water. The search continued unabated, both at sea and on land.
Skipper found on foot, safe and sound
The outcome came a little later, at around 10.30pm. A Gendarmerie patrol found the skipper on land, nearly a kilometer from the port, near the train station. The man was unharmed.
He had managed to leave his sailboat after the violent pounding. Slightly injured and freezing cold, he walked through the town in search of help.
Sailboat severely damaged
The Dufour 28 suffered heavy damage during its heeling. It climbed very high on the rocky plateau, a sign of the power of the swell during the gale. The entrance to the Port de Carry has already trapped other yachts, as in 2018, when a Sun Odyssey led by a Dutch couple ran aground on the eastern breakwater during an unfortunate tow.
