Click photo to enlarge
Bernt Luchtenborg talks to the media after being rescued
from his stricken yacht in the Southern Ocean on Tuesday by
an inflatable craft from Seven Seas Mariner. Photo from ONE
News.
A Swiss sailor on an unscheduled stay in Dunedin was last
night desperately hoping his insurance company will see fit to
pay for an attempt to salvage his stricken yacht, last seen
800km south of Stewart Island.
Returning to his yacht, Horizons, and somehow continuing his
round-the-world adventure was the only thing yachtsman Bernt
Luchtenborg had on his mind yesterday after he was rescued
from the Southern Ocean on Tuesday.
Luchtenborg (56) was five months into an attempt at twice
circumnavigating the globe, both solo and non-stop, when his
16m yacht hit an underwater object he believed was most
likely a sleeping whale.
In his blog he described his predicament as being
"shipwrecked at the end of the world".
He placed an emergency call to New Zealand late on Monday
night.
The Rescue Co-ordination Centre sent an air force Orion to
assess the situation, then diverted a cruise liner to the
stricken vessel.
Seven Seas Mariner, on its way from Australia to Milford
Sound, sailed south and rescued Mr Luchtenborg about 8am on
Wednesday.
The ship docked in Port Chalmers yesterday.
Mr Luchtenborg said he encountered 6m-high waves and violent
squalls before losing his rudder and steering in the
collision.
It is thought the yacht is still afloat somewhere in the
Southern Ocean, west of Stewart Island.
Australian and New Zealand authorities have issued a warning,
as it is a navigation hazard.
Mr Luchtenborg has completed three Atlantic crossings,
including two solo, and was planning on sailing 100,000km
non-stop around the globe both with and against the wind.
He set off from Cuxhaven, Germany, in mid-June.
Staying at the Victoria Hotel in Dunedin last night, Mr
Luchtenborg said he was waiting for information from his
insurance company before he attempted to recover his yacht
with a commercial rescue boat.
Mr Luchtenborg yesterday was still unsure what company would
be involved, and which harbour he might be able to sail from.
"I'm expecting that to happen pretty soon," he said.
debbie.porteous@odt.co.nz
