Race yachtsman turns back to rescue rival

13 April 2012

A British yachtsman was rescued from his capsized boat today by a rival skipper in a 30,000-mile solo round-the-world race.

Alex Thomson's yacht suffered irreparable damage and capsized yesterday morning, forcing him to abandon ship in the Southern Ocean.

Fellow British skipper Mike Golding battled against the elements to sail 80 miles back upwind to rescue his rival in the gruelling Velux 5 Oceans race.

He arrived on the scene last night and both skippers decided to wait until first light to carry out the dangerous boat-to-boat rescue amidst 15ft swells, sleet, snow and winds of more than 30 knots.

Thomson donned his survival suit and jumped into a liferaft while former Berkshire fireman Golding sailed alongside and plucked him to safety. The rescue took one and a half hours early this morning.

Thomson's yacht Hugo Boss has been left to sink while Golding rejoins the first leg of the race to Fremantle, Western Australia.

Thomson, 32, from Gosport, Hampshire, is out of the race and cannot help Golding while on board his yacht Ecover.

Golding was in second place, with Thomson catching up in third place when disaster struck. Thomson said: "I can't believe it, I am absolutely gutted. To have a problem with my keel at this critical stage in the race, something which I have no control over, is absolutely devastating."

Golding, 46, from Southampton, will apply for redress for any lost time and he will not be penalised for the rescue. He said: "But you know it is a pleasure to go back if someone is in trouble. You just can't say you feel bad about it. You just get on and do it, don't you?"

The fleet left Bilbao in October and the first leg of the race is set to finish in Fremantle in early December before returning to Bilbao in April.

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