Hi Mum,
Please could you rally the troops on Facebook (don’t use the below for FB) and through my blog.  Stormhoek Facebook page.  [I think you just have to say you nominate Mission Performance for the Stormhoek Social Spirit Award for saving a man’s life!] We have had one hell of a night as you may have read.  Will fill you in with more of the details shortly but it is suffice to say that whilst we won’t get a podium we are now hopeful that we will get the Stormhoek Social Spirit Award.  That involves people voting for us through the Clipper site…go go go!  We have just saved a mans life.  No exaggeration.

So, at 00:24 last night we heard a call for help.  The call was targeted at a
couple of other Clipper yachts in the closer vaccinity to the distressed
vessel.  No one responded (poor form) so Sally and I called for Greg to
assist.  We marked our position, dropped the head sails, turned on the engine and off we went.  Racing suspended and our position sacrificed.  11 nautical miles to the target.  The radio coversation had informed us that 1) there had been a prop wrap so the engine could not be turned on, 2) the headsail had shredded, 3 halyards had twisted (like Kyro) and 4) the Skipper’s son was stuck up there and had been for 2 hours getting beaten to a pulp.  It was pitch black and the scene of something that could have had many outcomes, most of which were bad.

Gavin and Janine nominated themselves to be the ‘climbers’ offering to scale the troubled mast and assist.  There was a small matter of boat to boat transfer first.  The initial attempt the simply step across was aborted for the swell, the second and third attempts were similarly unsuccessful.  A call for dry suits, there was going to be a body drag through the water –  a line belayed and then the climbers simply step off the comfort and safety of our yacht into the sea and dragged to the vessel.  They stopped at just one climber in the end, Gavin.  1 hour and 45 minutes later he touched down on terra firma shortly after the casualty tired and exhausted after an epic 7(?) hour stint.  Kyro eat your heart out!  True to form, once the dust had settled the official rescue vessel, a police boat, arrived.  They simply gave Gavin back to Clipper and went on to tow the distressed vessel.

A tremendous achievement for Gavin, a memory for all and not one to be
remembered by father and son of M3.

With the excitement over, my first morphine pill in 36 hrs it is time for me
to retreat to my bunk again.

Love to all as we set off again under race conditions from the site of the
incident.

Here it is again…. please vote for Lucy’s boat on this link:
Stormhoek Facebook page.  [I think you just have to say you nominate Mission Performance for the Stormhoek Social Spirit Award for saving a man’s life!]  Thank you.
xx