Vendée Globe: Rescue teams set up for Jean Le Cam

[Source: Vendée Globe] Following Jean Le Cam's (VM Matériaux) distress call to his shore team this morning at 00h26 GMT the Chilean and French MRCC have been setting up a rescue operation using the resources available in the area. Le Cam was able to telephone his shore team in France to inform that he was experiencing serious difficulties on board his monohull. It was possible that he was capsizing, as the phone went dead at that point. The boat was located at 56° 17’ S and 73° 46’ W, or around 200 miles West of Cape Horn. At the time, the weather conditions were generating 25-knot westerly to south-westerly winds with stronger gusts.

A cargo ship and a plane are on their way to the area to intervene as quickly as possible.

Chile is three hours behind GMT: in Punta Arenas, the sun goes down at 22h (local time, or 01h GMT) and comes up at 05h30 (local time, or 08h30 GMT). It was therefore dark where Jean Le Cam was located (200 miles west of the Horn) when his distress beacon was triggered at 01h40 (GMT).

The MRCC (Intrnational Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre) contacted a cargo ship 65 miles from the position of VM Matériaux, as identified by the Sarsat-Cospas beacon: the ship is expected to reach the area at around 10h30 GMT. A Chilean spotter plane is being prepared to head for the zone at daybreak, at around 08h30 (GMT).