Rescue on the high seas: Yacht captain with P.E.I. connection pulls sailor from Indian Ocean

SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — A yacht captain with P.E.I. connections has helped pull off the mid-ocean rescue of a fellow sailor.

Kirsten Neuschäfer, on her Cape George 36 cutter, Minnehaha, pulled Finnish captain Tapio Lehtinen from a life-raft within the southern Indian Ocean at about 5 a.m. native time on Saturday, Nov. 19. Lehtinen’s yacht, Gaia 36 Asteria, all of the sudden began taking over water and sank inside minutes the earlier morning, round 7 a.m., Nov. 18.

Each Neuschäfer and Lehtinen are contestants within the Golden Globe Race, a solo crusing dash world wide.

Neuschäfer is South African however spent a lot of 2021 in Darnley, P.E.I. rebuilding Minnehaha, which she bought in Newfoundland and Labrador, in preparation for the race. Many within the Island’s crusing group adopted her trigger, and even raised greater than $10,000 for her efforts, and have watched her progress within the race.

In line with messages shared by the Golden Globe Race organizers, Lehtinen has been transferred from Minnehaha to the Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship Darya Gayatri. He has since shared his due to all concerned in his rescue, with a particular be aware to Neuschäfer, who fished him out of his survival raft and promptly handed him a swig of rum.

“Thanks additionally Kirsten on your wonderful seamanship in maneuvering Minnehaha subsequent to the raft, getting me onboard and for the rum. After which in co-operation with captain Naveen Kumar Mehrotra, getting Minnehaha safely within the lee of m/v Darya Garyatri and getting me safely onboard the ship the place I’m now very fortunately having fun with the Indian hospitality of the captain and crew,” acknowledged Lehtinen.

A clip of a telephone name Neuschäfer had with race organizers shortly after Lehtinen was transferred to the Darya Gayatri has been posted to the occasion’s Fb web page. In it, she expressed aid that everybody concerned was secure and sound.

“I’m filled with adrenaline now, I’ve been up helming all night time, and it’s fairly one thing to be manoeuvring so near a ship, however we’re all good. He was on board, we drank a rum collectively after which we despatched him on his merry manner,” she mentioned.

“No congratulations wanted for the rescue, everybody would do the identical for one more sailor, thanks guys for co-ordinating it.”

Neuschäfer has since resumed the race. The occasion organizers have indicated that she is not going to be penalized for the additional time she took away for the rescue effort.

The Golden Globe Race began in Les Sables-d’Olonne, France, in September and it may very well be seven months or extra earlier than the primary ship sails again into port and the end line. The race is exclusive in that it forbids the usage of any crusing know-how developed after 1968, when the primary race was held.

Anybody occupied with checking on the progress of any of the racers in actual time can achieve this on the event’s website. 

Colin MacLean is a reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. He will be reached by e-mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @JournalPMacLean.