Irish sailor rescued after yacht capsizes

Damian Foxall was amongst a number of sailors rescued in the Atlantic Ocean

Damian Foxall
Damian Foxall

Ireland's Damian Foxall was amongst a number of sailors rescued in the Atlantic Ocean after their trimaran racing yacht Musandam Omansail capsized.

The incident occurred 450 nautical miles east off St Pierre and Miquelon, off the coast of Canada while competing in the Quebec-St Malo transatlantic race.

The five-person crew led by Sidney Gavignet were unharmed in the incident and took refuge in the upturned hull initially before being rescued by a cargo ship several hours later.

The 21m (70ft) yacht recently set a new world record of just over 38 hours in the Volvo Round Ireland Race, having previously broken the 704-mile record in 2015.

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A salvage plan for the boat is being assessed by the shore team.

The cause of the capsize is unknown.

David Branigan

David Branigan

David Branigan is a contributor on sailing to The Irish Times