There was a successful rescue operation for Golden Globe Race competitor Tapio Lehtinen in the Southern Indian Ocean on Saturday.

GGR entrant Kirsten Neuschäfer (ZAF) was first to reach Tapio’s position on Saturday at 0510 UTC. The South African sailor whisked GGR Veteran and Finnish sailing legend, Tapio Lehtinen, from his liferaft, where he had been since Friday 0700 UTC.

Three boats were diverted to assist GGR entrant Tapio Lehtinen after he activated his Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) at 0654. He then activated his Liferaft Personal Locator Beacon at 0854 UTC following the sinking of his yacht Asteria.

Tapio Lehtinen reported that his Gaia 36 ASTERIA flooded from the stern with water up to deck level in 5 minutes and then sank. Photo: Etienne Messikommer / GGR2022

Abhilash Tomy (IND) aboard Bayanat, 170 nm SW of Tapio’s last known position, was the first to receive the message sent through the YB3 device and divert his route.

MRCC Cape Town confirmed communication with Captain Naveen Kumar Mehrotra onboard the bulk carrier M.V. Darya Gayatri bound to Singapore, 250 nm NW of Tapio’s position, diverting course at 12,5 knots and rendering assistance with an ETA between 0830 and 1000 UTC on November 19.

Later in the day, Kirsten Neuschäfer aboard Minnehaha, who was the closest to Tapio at 105 miles, contacted the GGR Crisis Team after receiving the message on her YB3. In accordance with the Race Office, she broke the seal of the emergency GPS and diverted her course towards Tapio’s position.

GGR2022 South African Entrant Kirsten Neuschäfer from Port Elizabeth, the only female entrant, is sailing a strong race and is a serious contender for a podium finish in Les Sables d’Olonne. Photo: Nora Havel / GGR 2022

Abhilash Tomy was then released from the rescue to resume racing. As a fellow competitor in the GGR 2018 and friend of Tapio, he kept sailing close while released and asked to be updated on any progress.

The GGR crisis team kept contact with the MRCC Cape Town coordinating the rescue as well as the bulk carrier M.V. Darya Gayatri, Kirsten Neuschäfer and Tapio Lehtinen.

Kirsten was regularly updated on weather information as well as Tapio’s position and drift by the Race Office in order to maximise routing for the fastest route to him. Meanwhile, Tapio was updated on Kirsten’s progress and ETA and showed good spirit throughout the night.

"You can't get any closer to the ocean, I love it but this is close enough. Thanks for looking after of me."

Tapio Lethinen

More romantic tweets from the liferaft here

Posting speeds above 7 knots, Kirsten was the first on site at 0510 UTC, the conditions at the time were 20 knots of SSE wind, 2 to 3 metre swell and daylight.

GGR2022 Entrant Kirsten Neuschäfer (SA) onboard her Cape George 36 - " MINNEHAHA" has been full speed motoring toward Tapio Lehtinen (FIN) since 14 hours ago. Picture Credit: Nora Havel / GGR 2022

It was not an easy task however. Tapio had an early visual on Kirsten’s yacht but she could not see the liferaft in the swell. Kirsten would hear him on the VHF but Tapio could not hear her voice. The GGR Crisis Management Team homed her onto Tapio’s position until they were close enough to see and hear each other to plan for recovery.

Kirsten called the GGR Management team at 0805 UTC to confirm that she had retrieved Tapio from the liferaft onto Minnehaha with a retrieving line. After sharing a good glass of rum, they then proceeded to put Tapio back in the raft, pulled it towards the carrier, which he then successfully boarded via a rescue ladder.

The moment Tapio Lehtinen was reported safe to GGR race control by fellow entrant Kirsten Neuschäfer.

“I’m full of adrenaline now, I’ve been up helming all night, and it’s quite something to be manoeuvring so close to a ship, but we’re all good. He was on board, we drank a rum together and then we sent him on his merry way. (...) No congratulations needed for the rescue, everyone would do the same for another sailor, thank you guys for coordinating it. “ Kirsten Neuschafer

GGR2022 YB Tracker could show their weather and positions

M.V. Darya Gayatri, contacted by MRRC Cape Town, later confirmed that Tapio has been onboard since 0755 UTC and that they were retrieving the abandoned liferaft. The vessel is bound for Rizhao, China where they will drop off Tapio. MRCC Cape Town is contacting the Finnish Embassy to coordinate his arrival together with the GGR Race Control.

“WOW!!!! Bravo to all involved with the successful rescue of Tapio which was a huge effort. It was comforting to feel the support from the GGR family around the world and experience the professionalism and dedication of MRCC South Africa, as well as Capt. Naveen Kumar Mehrotra, and the crew of the M.V. Darya Gayatri who are upholding the greatest traditions of the sea by assisting a fellow mariner in distress. Thanks Abhilash for diverting and staying close by, and Kirsten your ocean experience and human spirit sets you apart. Your efforts have written another chapter in life and a special bond with our dear Tapio!!! Welcome back Tapio...your family is waiting.” Don McIntyre GGR Founder

Today at 0654 UTC, Golden Globe Race competitor Tapio Lehtinen activated Asteria’s EPIRB, 460 nautical miles SE from Port Elizabeth, in South Africa, while sailing in the solo non-stop round the world race.

The GGR Crisis management team in Les Sables d’Olonne and Race Founder and President Don McIntyre in Cape Town have been coordinating with the Cape Town MRCC and CROSS Griz-Nez in France.

Tapio Lehtinen's Gaia 36 ASTERIA Life Raft Position. Picture Credit: Nora Havel / GGR2022

At 0852 UTC, Tapio also activated his liferaft’s PLB, indicating that he may have abandoned ship. The liferaft also has a VHF radio and GPS packed inside. MRCC Cape Town contacted nearby commercial vessels to divert to his position, with the closest ship 250 miles away.

GGR entrants Kirsten Neuschäfer and Abhilash Tomy, respectively, 105 and 170 miles to his SSW, have been informed of his latest PLB position. Abhilash was the first to receive the message and diverted course towards Tapio’s latest position.

Entrants' YB Tracker Positions

At 0922 UTC, Tapio activated the emergency YB3 satellite tracking and texting device, which is part of the grab bag and at 1002 UTC, manually acknowledged the message sent by the GGR Crisis Team. indicating he was able, and had the emergency grab bag with him.

Tapio Lehtinen onboard Asteria

The grab bag contains food, water and several critical pieces of equipment, including an emergency GPS, a Search & Rescue Transponder, a second 406 EPIRB, and a handheld GMDSS Radio. 

His last message was for Asteria: at 1105 UTC: "I GAVE ASTERIA A LAST SALUTE STANDING IN THE RAFT AS SHE WENT DOWN”

Every GGR2022 Entrant has two YB3 Tracking / messaging Units. Picture Credit: Nora Havel / GGR2022

Conditions in Tapio’s zone are manageable with light winds and a 2,5-metre swell. With Kirsten now en route and closest at 100 nm away, the GGR Crisis Team released Abhilash from the rescue effort. Kirsten is motoring and should have favourable winds later; expecting to be in the zone on Saturday, 19th November, in the morning. Forecasts suggest moderating conditions over the next two days.

Two front runners of the Golden Globe Race have retired into Cape Town with wind vane failures this week. One of them is  County Kerry's Pat Lawless on Green Rebel, who retired on November 10th after the failure of a critical bearing bush, and the Irish solo sailor was caught without a spare. Lawless did not wish to continue after repairs in port.

 As Afloat reported previously, Lawless. who had been struggling with his failing Aries wind vane for days, arrived at Cape Town sailing sheet to tiller on the 10th of November.

Hailing from a family of seafarers, his father circumnavigated the globe solo in his 70s, while his brother Peter also attempted it. Pat’s goal was to become the first Irishman to sail solo, non-stop, unassisted around the world. Without a self-steering system, he was unable to achieve his dream. He could have made repairs and continued the voyage under Chichester Class as a one stop circumnavigation, but decided to retire.

"I realised I wouldn’t be competitive without the self-steering; I could sail, but I wouldn’t be competitive. And then, in a storm, I would end up broaching, so it took a day or two to accept that I was out of the race. If this had happened in Hobart, I would have continued, but not here,” he said.

Pat had a life in the North Sea as a fisherman, a past that overshadowed his skill as a dinghy sailor and offshore racer. His experience became obvious as Pat remained in the lead pack all the way to Cape Town where he reached in 4th place.

Pat Lawless (IRL), 65 y/o, did not succeed in this attempt, but his father circumnavigated the globe in his seventies, so he may go again in 2026? Photo: JJ/ GGR2022

Meanwhile, he has been managing injuries, a knee infection in the North Atlantic and later a cracked rib and torn shoulder muscle, never departing from his infectious enthusiasm and happiness at sea!

Lawless’s Aries windvane had several thousand miles on her and was serviced before starting the race, but not a full rebuild of bearings and bushings. The headed bush on the spindle shaft that the servo pendulum rudder swings on failed. A fix at sea, while difficult, is possible, but only if you have the spares. He did not have them.

He is planning to sail back home as soon as repairs are completed. The Irish competitive sailor is looking forward to cruising time going north, with the opportunity this time to visit the islands and archipelagos he just sailed by on the way south to Cape Town.

Ireland’s solo sailor Pat Lawless has retired from the Golden Globe round the world race.

This follows the problems with his self-steering Aries system which developed on his Saga 36 Green Rebel on Sunday night.

He confirmed a bearing problem and told GGR race officials that he could not repair it at sea.

He has said he didn't think his race would end due to such a problem developing. He had put a lot of trust in the Aries system, he told me in an interview for Afloat before he started the race.

Since September 4 when the GGR fleet left France, he has been consistently in the top three.

Tonight the GGR officials confirmed his retiral.

GGR Race Committee said tonight: "Pat showed tremendous courage and seamanship in the Atlantic, always sailing in the front of the fleet while addressing various injuries at sea.

"He has faced both the barnacle invasion and a wind vane issue. He solved the first one at the first opportunity but does not have the spares for his Aries wind vane broken bearing."

He is due in Cape Town tonight. The Race Committee says he will be directed into the marina and to Customs.

More information is expected later and an interview with him. He is said to be frustrated and deeply disappointed.

Update at 0130 Irish Time: 

Pat Lawless berths Green Rebel at a marina in Capetown, South Africa. Screenshot via GGR Youtube

Pat Lawless Comments on Arrival into Cape Town

Pat Lawless arrived safely into Cape Town and berthed Green Rebel.

At the marina, he said he was very disappointed and particularly for all his sponsors and supporters who had done so much for him. He outlined how difficult and challenging it had been to continue sailing after the Aries self-steering system failed. It appears that a bearing caused the failure. He said his wife will travel to South Africa. He was interviewed on the GGR Race Channel on YouTube (below) after arrival and confirmed his retiral decision because of the self-steering failure. His entire ambition and aim had been to sail non-stop around the world, he said. When that was no longer possible, there was no point in continuing. He will be making arrangements for repair and said it is his intention to sail Green Rebel back to Ireland.

Pat Lawless's Golden Globe Race ambition to be the first Irish sailor to sail non-stop unassisted round the world hangs in the balance off Capetown, South Africa, as the County Kerry sailor deals with gear failure on his yacht Green Rebel.

Lawless first reported problems with the self-steering system on his 36-footer on Wednesday, as Afloat reported here.

Golden Globe Race Head Quarters have commented on the predicament faced by Lawless and his Aries self-steering equipment problems. 

Pat Lawless aboard Green Rebel showing the black Aries Pendulum Self-Steering equipment mounted on the stern. The opinion of the Golden Globe race organisers is that the bearing failure in the Aries system is 'catastrophic' Photo: GGR

"Many have asked if we have more news from Pat. The opinion is that the bearing failure is catastrophic for the Aries, and it cannot operate. He may not have a spare onboard. As he seems to say, it is the " End of his GGR!"

Pat gives an overview of his self-steering equipment in the video below made two years ago

It is extremely difficult to consider sailing around the world without a wind vane. This suggests he may need to stop in Cape Town to find or make a replacement. That moves him into Chichester Class, and he loses his non-stop unassisted record attempt as the first Irish sailor to do so?

And he is then not in the running for any trophies or rankings in the GGR. So we have to ask Pat what the reality is".

Ireland’s Pat Lawless is reported to be having problems with the self-steering system on his 36-foot Green Rebel.

Two messages received at Golden Globe Race headquarters indicated the difficulties encountered on the way to Cape Town, the next point for handing over of video shot on their boats by the 13 remaining competitors in the non-stop race around the world.

The first from Pat Lawless said: “My Aries Self Steering is broken. I am on sheet to tiller since last night,"

A second message, near midday today said: “Pure fed up that a simple bearing on the self-steering would finish my Golden Globe Race.”

GGR has given an estimated time of arrival off Cape Town for Pat Lawless: as tomorrow (Tuesday) evening.

No further indication has so far been received from Green Rebel.

Simon Curwen (UK) was the first to arrive off Cape Town yesterday afternoon.

Sailors' anchoring will probably be just off the foreshore at Granger Bay and visible from the foreshore. They are not allowed assistance. Anchoring enables an equipment and preparation check by the sailors on their boats before heading into the Southern Ocean.

A GGR Cape Town film gate line is located between Granger Bay Marina and Cape Town Channel which all entrants must cross this line with at least one reef in the mainsail and drop all headsails for 20 minutes.

Race Chairman Don McIntyre is on the water with the GGR and Royal Cape Yacht Club Team to greet the skippers, collect the photo, video and written material, and interview them should the weather conditions allow. Nothing is given to the entrants.

ETAs will be regularly updated on the GGR Facebook page and on the Royal Cape Yacht Club notice board, host of the Golden Globe Race in Cape Town.

Latest from GGR: “Pat has a Broken Aries!!”

Pat Lawless of Limerick, in his hefty Saltrams Saga 36 Green Rebel, has strengthened his placing at fourth in the Golden Globe Race 2022, having seen off the challenge of India's Abilash Tomy in his much-fancied Rustler 36.

Simon Curwen, with his Biscay 36, continues in the lead as the front-runners close towards their second video-drop off Capetown in this very special race. In it, participants are only allowed to use the
technology - including for navigation and communication - which was available when Robin Knox-Johnston made his pioneering non-stop global circuit in Suhaili in 1968-69.

We get some concept of the challenge involved when we realise that the leaders have only just broken through the 20,000 miles barrier still to be sailed before they get back to the finish at Les Sables d'Olonne on France's Biscay Coast. And once the brief "no touch" human contact off South Africa has been completed, they face the solo challenge of the Roaring Forties in what may be the Southern Ocean's most demanding region south of the Indian Ocean.

Ireland's Pat Lawless sailing Green Rebel in the Golden Globe Race is on his way to Cape Town, the last call before the Southern Ocean, battling High-Pressure Systems and barnacles.

Cape Town is a traditional fixture in round-the-world sailing and the last port of call for sailors to assess their condition and their boat before venturing into the Indian Ocean. With the strong winds, swell and lack of shelter in the South, once you turn left, there is no turning back.

See live tracker below

Lawless has chosen to round the high through the southern route, and pundits say it is a bold move as it adds many miles to the route with no guarantee that the wind will hold, the high will travel north, and that there will be a way to cross towards the South African coastline.

1000 miles a week club

Lawless is among the top nine boats in the 13-boat fleet that are averaging 1000 miles a week; that is just below six knots average and an easy way to look at the finish of the 30,000 miles round the world race.

Gooseneck barnacles

Among the problems the fleet faces now is dealing with dreaded gooseneck barnacles attaching to the hull.

They were first spotted by Jeremy Bagshaw (RSA) and Damien Guillou (FRA) after cutting through the Cape Verde Islands, and later by Tapio Lehtinen (FIN) haunted by his 2018 experience, who overcame his fear of sharks and went overboard to clean his hull, removing around 60 of them.

 Guy Waites (UK), one of the best-prepared sailors, was unable to remove them at sea with a scrapper and announced to Race Control he was diverting towards Latin America to clean his hull. It was a shock among the skippers and a wake-up call for all.

Since then, Lawless and Ertan Beskardes (UK) have discovered some and all sailors are diving at the first opportunity for hull cleaning before reaching the colder waters of the Southern Oceans.

See live tracker below

Starting with a rough exit of the bay of Biscay, testing Golden Globe Race sailors and boats to the limit, with Damien Guillou's (FRA) PRB returning for repairs, Edward Walentynowicz (CAN) pulling the plug on his GGR campaign, Guy deBoer (USA) grounded in Fuerteventura and Mark Sinclair (AUS) mooring his Coconut in Lanzarote for good. Now thirteen sailors battle the doldrums seeking tradewinds and a fast passage south.

One of these is Ireland's Pat Lawless, who continues to show good pace and is described by race control as 'tough as nails'. Kerry's Lawless sailing 'Green Rebel', weathered a knee infection between the Canaries and the doldrums and now nurses a damaged rib and torn shoulder, while fighting in the lead group.

See live tracker below.

Lawless thinks he broke a rib when shoved across the cockpit. “I had an accident; the mainsheet caught me in the shoulder and threw me inside the cockpit, it was four days ago, and I have had a sore rib since. The shoulder must have a torn ligament, but it’s slowly improving.”

Pat Lawless is making great progress in the Golden Globe Race with 13 sailors are still racing. Simon Curwen first across the Equator, others in the doldrums physically and psychologically. See live tracker below

Entrants can only call Race Control, not family and friends. Some demoralised GGR sailors called to chat, share their frustrations and trump the isolation after a month alone. A few are questioning why they are there, others if it is even possible to continue with severe lack of family contact.

The entrants, who felt overloaded with public and media attention in the weeks leading to the start, now welcome the weekly safety and media calls as a change in their routine and only chance to chat to the outside world.

One sailor not suffering mentally or physically, and working hard to get back at the front is French favourite Damien Guillou, who has been gaining places ever since he left Les Sables d'Olonne with a 6-day delay after repairing and reinforcing his windvane. He has gone from last to 6th, leading the mid-fleet pack earlier this week, although the doldrums make the ranking change several times a day.

Many wonder if the obvious speed, talent, hard work and determination of the Finisterian sailor that enabled his comeback will be enough to catch-up on Simon and the leaders. Michel Desjoyeaux who won his second victory on the 2008-2009 Vendée Globe, after going back to Les Sables d'Olonne, 200 miles after the start, for repairs and leaving with a 40-hour delay, gave us a hint on twitter earlier this week : "He is doing a "Desjoyeaux', only better! If you don't mind me saying it!"

2022 GGR entrants to date:

1. Abhilash Tomy (43) / India / Rustler 36
2. Arnaud Gaist (50) / France / BARBICAN 33 MKII (long keel version)
3. Damien Guillou (39) / France / Rustler 36
4. Elliott Smith (27) / USA / Gale Force 34
5. Ertan Beskardes (60) / UK / Rustler 36
6. Guy Waites (54) / UK / Tradewind 35
7. Ian Herbert Jones (52) / UK / Tradewind 35
8. Jeremy Bagshaw (59) / South Africa / OE32
9. Kirsten Neuschäfer (39) / South Africa / Cape George 36
10. Michael Guggenberger (44) / Austria / Biscay 36
11. Pat Lawless (66) / Ireland / Saga 36
12. Simon Curwen (63) / UK / Biscay 36
13. Tapio Lehtinen (64) / Finland / Gaia 36 Masthead sloop

Pat Lawless (66) of Limerick may still have 24,455 miles to sail before he becomes the first Irishman to sail non-stop solo round the world. But in the Golden Globe Race 2022, he has been getting remarkably competitive performances out of his hefty Saltram Saga 36 Green Rebel, despite his boat having one of the lowest sail-area-to-weight ratios of the entire fleet.

Because the rules of the race stipulate that the competitors use only 1968 technology and have no contact whatsoever with anyone ashore, we can only speculate as to the secret of his success as deduced from the Race Tracker. But the central tenet of Lawless Sailing Lore seems to dictate that you should sail no further than you need to, a strategy he demonstrated early in exiting the Bay of Biscay in difficult and extremely flukey headwind conditions, following the start from Les
Sables d'Olonnes on September 4th, and subsequently in getting past both the Canaries and the Cape Verde Islands.

Other theoretically faster boats have readily scurried hither and yon in an often futile search for the best conditions, but Green Rebel has somehow been making southing so efficiently that she has probably logged fewer miles than any other boat in the fleet to put her where she is now (Sunday). She is well south of the Cape Verdes at third overall, behind Simon Curwen leading in a Biscay 36, and Kirsten Neuschafer second, close ahead of Green Rebel in a Cape George 36.

After the 2018 race, it was felt that clearly the ideal boat to comply most competitively with the rules was the Holman & Pye-designed Rustler 36. Also as a result of 2018's race, Ireland's Gregor McGuckian was awarded the Cruising Club of America's Rod Stephens Trophy for Seamanship for the role he played in the rescue of fellow-competitor Abilash Tomy of the Indian Navy. Tomi is back this year witha Rustler 36 supported by the Indian Navy, yet so far at no stage has he been ahead of Pat Lawless, and currently lies 5th, more than 200 miles astern of Green Rebel.

The Golden Globe 2022 started with a smaller fleet than the 2018 event, and the active competitors now number 12 boats. Perhaps the "re-enactment of a re-enactment" doesn't have the same zing, and of course, the deteriorating international security and economic situations have been particularly discouraging for an event of this nature. Yet there are twelve boats out there, still gallantly racing in this challenge of a lifetime. And while we wish them all well, we know they'll understand us
in our hope that Pat Lawless leads them all back into Les Sables d'Olonne next Spring.

Live Race Tracker below