ZI DA WANG

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Fishing vessel saved distressed skipper

The 'Zi Da Wang' saved Ian Herbert Jones, the skipper of the race yacht ''Puffin' (MMSI: 232033645), on April 11, 2023 at 6.30 p.m. in vicinity 46 22 48.0 S, 036 27 36.0 W, in 25 knot winds and four metre seas. After the successful transfer, the ship headed for Cape Town. The skipper of the 'Puffin', participating in the Golden Globe Race, had activated his EPIRB distress alert in a serious storm in the South Atlantic, after the yacht rolled over and was dismasted in vicinity 46 57 52 S, 037 17 15 W, on April 10, 2023, at 3.40 p.m. UTC. With an injured back, gashed head and water in the yacht, the skipper messaged to the race control in storm gusting over 90 knots with confused sea. He called the GGR Race Office on his Iridium phone to advise that he was in extreme weather, running under bare poles, trying to hand steer downwind. At 6.42 p.m. the yacht sent the following Yellow-Brick YB3 satellite tracking and texting unit message: Rolled, Dis-masted, injured Back, hard to move, two feet water in boat. At 6.44 p.m. he sent another YB3 TEXT Message: Situation getting worse, need weather break to cut rig from PUFFIN. At 8.15 p.m. he sent the phone message: Cutting Rig away, water ingress under control, Back getting stiff, Gashed head. While conditions were horrendous, he had to cut the rig away as it was bashing against the hull. When he was part way through the task, the contact got lost. At 8.25 p.m. the skipper rang again. The GGR gave the latest weather forecast that winds and sea were very slowly dropping in the next 12 hrs, discussed the possibility of the vessel being diverted. The SAR Puerto Belgrano was coordinating the rescue. There were several ships in the vicinity, including a tanker 120 miles north of his position, and several fishing boats. The MRCC Argentina attemptedto make contact with them and seek their support.