Queen Mary 2 Rescues Race Yachtsman After Atlantic Storm

Queen Mary 2 Rescues Race Yachtsman After Atlantic Storm

The Queen Mary 2 ocean liner has rescued a lone British yachtsman taking part in a transatlantic race.

The man was rescued in the area of the Mid Atlantic on Saturday and while his boat, called Tamarind, suffered severe damage, he was not injured, according to the Royal Western Yacht Club (RWYC) of England.

The UK Coastguard said: "He has been assessed by the Queen Mary 2 medical team who have advised he is uninjured and in good spirits."

It comes as a North Atlantic storm - 60-knot winds and 15-metre seas - hit competitors of the Original Singlehanded Transatlantic Race (OSTAR) which left Plymouth at the end of last month.

The RWYC said the extreme conditions, which began in the early hours of Friday, caused damage to many boats with three emergency beacons triggered.

The Canadian coastguard in Halifax immediately reacted to the situation, requesting ships and air support, including an RAF Hercules, to help all the boats in distress.

As well as Tamarind, four other boats were affected but no injuries were reported.

On its website, the RWYC said: "The RWYC would like to thank all personnel at the Halifax Coastguard for their immediate and magnificent response to this emergency situation. All seafarers owe them a debt of gratitude."

A Cunard spokesman said: "We can confirm that Queen Mary 2 was involved in a rescue operation at the request of the MRCC at Falmouth, (UK Coastguard). The rescue was coordinated by Canadian Coastguard in Halifax.

"The lone yachtsman is now safely on board Queen Mary 2."

Master of Queen Mary 2, Captain Chris Wells, who led the rescue mission, said: "It is standard seafaring practice to go to the aid of a vessel in distress.

"We were pleased to be able to help and delighted that the yachtsman is safe and well and now on board Queen Mary 2."

Daniel Bailey, maritime operations officer for the UK Coastguard said: "We are extremely grateful for the support and professionalism that the RMS Queen Mary 2 provided during this rescue."

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