21 Hour Rescue of Free Spirit During 2026 Vasco Da Gama Ocean Race

A sailing yacht has been assisted in a 21 hour rescue operation.

At 04h50, Monday, 25 May, an NSRI Durban duty controller was alerted by the Vice Commodore of the Point Yacht Club (PYC) reporting their member sailing yacht Free Spirit, that was taking part in their 2026 Vasco da Gama Ocean Race – Durban to East London, that had started on Sunday, was broadcasting their EPIRB (Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon), believed to be in unknown distress deep sea offshore of Port Shepstone, and PYC requested NSRI to investigate.

NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) was alerted and on investigation it was determined that MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) was aware of the EPIRB and they had instructed Telkom Maritime Radio Services to broadcast a Pan-Pan on VHF marine radio channel 16 requesting any vessels in the area to respond to the estimated location of the EPIRB to investigate.

At 05h00, NSRI Shelly Beach duty crew were activated by NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) to respond to investigate after communications with the 2 local male crew on the sailing yacht Free Spirit could not be established and the causes of them deploying their EPIRB, the cause of their distress, was unknown and there were no known vessels in the area responding to the Pan Pan relay VHF marine radio broadcast.

NSRI Shelly Beach duty crew responded the NSRI Shelly Beach station 20 rescue base where the NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Dawn was launched.

NSRI Durban and NSRI Port Edward duty crews were placed on high alert and TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of Durban Port Control were alerted.

An NSRI Kommetjie crew member initiated plotting drift patterns, using the self designed application SearchWell, to assist to determine the sailing yachts location based on the original EPIRB GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates. Our NSRI Kommetjie crew member is commended for her efforts that assisted in the operation.

While responding towards an estimated 40 nautical miles offshore of Port Shepstone, on the KZN South Coast, cellphone and VHF marine radio communications were lost with the responding NSRI rescue craft.

Relay broadcasts on VHF marine radio were attempted by the crew on the NSRI Shelly Beach rescue craft Spirit of Dawn but there was no feedback – the rescue craft continued towards the last known position of the distress sailing yacht but on arrival in the area there was no signs of the distress sailing yacht and a search commenced.

MRCC had diverted a motor vessel to the area in attempts to establish a relay radio broadcast station but VHF marine radio relays were not successful.

As a precaution NSRI Port Edward duty crew responded to the NSRI Port Edward station 32 rescue base and launched the NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Steve, accompanied by a satellite radio and with extra fuel, to rendezvous with the NSRI Shelly Beach rescue craft.

It was later established that communications with the NSRI Shelly Beach rescue craft had been assisted by the fellow Vasco Ocean Race sailing vessel Zephyr. They are commended for their assistance relaying vital coordinates and information.

It was established that NSRI Shelly Beach had reached the stricken 10.3 meter sailing yacht Free Spirit finding the 2 crew to be safe but adrift, with complete rudder failure, 20 nautical miles South East of her last known position, 41 nautical miles offshore of Port Edward.

NSRI Shelly Beach took the sailing yacht under tow and the rescue craft Spirit of Dawn towed the casualty sailing yacht towards Shelly Beach and after approximately 20 nautical miles of towing the NSRI Port Edward rescue craft rendezvoused with them where Spirit of Dawn was refuelled by NSRI Port Edward while communications were assisted using the NSRI Port Edward satellite radio enabling the relaying of updates and coordinates to NSRI duty controllers, NSRI EOC, MRCC and Telkom Maritime Radio Services – using the satellite radio.

It was determined that the crew of the distress sailing yacht Free Spirit had been broadcasting a Mayday distress call on VHF marine radio channel 16 since 03h00 that morning but they had received no feedback causing them to eventually deploy their EPIRB in a last attempt to try to raise the alarm.

On NSRI determining that this would require a tow to Durban’s Port the NSRI Durban duty crew responded to the NSRI Durban station 5 rescue base where at 11h50 the NSRI rescue craft Alick Rennie was launched.

NSRI Shelly Beach continued towing the distress sailing yacht where offshore of Margate communications by cellphone could be re-established with shore controllers and with NSRI Durban.

In communications, with NSRI Shelly Beach duty controllers, extra fuel was requested and the local Shelly Beach fishing charter boat DumiZulu launched bringing additional fuel to the NSRI rescue craft that was refuelled and then continued with the towing operation. The skipper and crew of DumiZulu are commended for their assistance.

At 15h03 the NSRI Durban rescue craft rendezvoused with NSRI Shelly Beach and by 15h40 the towline had been transferred from the rescue craft Spirit of Dawn to the rescue craft Alick Rennie – the transfer of the towline taking place offshore of Port Shepstone.

The NSRI Shelly Beach rescue craft arrived back at base at 15h55.

NSRI Durban continued withy the towing effort arriving in the Port of Durban and mooring the casualty yacht at Point Yacht Club at 01h40.

Once safely moored no further assistance was required.

The cooperation and assistance of all involved in this almost 21 hour rescue operation is commended.

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