#GoldenGlobeRace: British sailor rescued in Pacific day after yacht dismasted
British Golden Globe Race sailor Susie Goodall was plucked from the stormy Southern Ocean by a Chinese ship yesterday, a day after her yacht was dismasted, said Chile's Maritime Rescue Services. Goodall "was rescued at 1500 GMT and is already on the ship heading to Punta Arenas," a city near the tip of Chile's southernmost Patagonia region, a spokesperson for the rescue services said.
Golden Globe Race organizers announced the news on their website
A photo tweeted by the Chilean service showed Goodall, her head wrapped in a bandana, being winched above the waves and aboard the Hong Kong-flagged vessel Tian Fu. "Susie is on the ship!!!! Wowowow! A message just received from Susie Goodall," the Golden Globe Race organizers announced on their website. "This is fantastic news indeed... well done Susie too," they said.
Goodall is the only woman competitor in the race
The 40,000-ton Tian Fu was expected to dock in Punta Arenas on December 12. The youngest competitor in the race and the only woman, 29-year-old Goodall was briefly knocked unconscious when mountainous seas upended her yacht DHL Starlight early Thursday, causing much damage.
The rescue mission got less dangerous because of sea anchor
Goodall had managed to get her engine running but it failed after just 20 minutes, complicating rescue efforts as Chilean authorities diverted the Tian Fu to the area. She had managed to use a sea anchor to slow her yacht down, making a rescue less dangerous. Goodall was attempting to navigate the southern Pacific's notorious Roaring Forties as part of the Golden Globe Race.
'Taking hammering! Wondering what on Earth I'm doing out here'
The young Briton sent a series of frantic text messages to race organizers throughout her ordeal. "Taking a hammering! Wondering what on Earth I'm doing out here," she texted as the storm hit. When concerned organizers finally managed to contact her by satellite phone several hours later, she confirmed her boat had been dismasted but said the hull had not been breached.
'I was thrown across cabin, knocked out for a while'
"The boat is destroyed. I can't make up a jury rig," said Goodall. "The only thing left is hull and deck which remain intact. We were pitchpoled and I was thrown across the cabin and knocked out for a while," she said in the message.
In text updates, Goodall said she endured 'a looong night'
While "beaten up and badly bruised", she was safe and had managed to bring flooding under control and get her engine going, giving her some maneuverability when the rescue ship arrived, race organizers said. In text updates, Goodall said she endured "a looong night". "In need of a good cuppa tea! But sadly no cooker," one of her messages stated.
Golden Globe Race is expected to finish in April 2019
The Golden Globe Race involves a grueling 30,000-mile (48,280km) solo circumnavigation of the globe in yachts similar to those used in the first race - Sunday Times Golden Globe Race - 50 years ago, with no modern technology allowed except the communications equipment. The entrants set off from France on July 1 and are expected to finish in April next year.
