Ocean capsize for catamaran - registered beacon meant quick rescue

11:20 PM Sun 1 Aug 2010 GMT

'Anna Valdivia - abandoned, now a navigation hazard, floating upside down' .

Two cruising sailors have been rescued from stormy seas off Niue, one of the most remote inhabited islands of the South Pacific, after their catamaran capsized yesterday. Rescuers said later that, even though the catamaran capsized in very remote waters, the fact that the EPIRB was registered contributed to their swift and efficient rescue. The American skipper of Anna Valdivia, a 17m catamaran, and his New Zealand crewman were about 125 nautical miles west of Niue when they set off their emergency locator beacon about 4pm. Local weather reports indicated heavy seas and storm conditions. Repeated efforts to contact the ...

Click here for full story.

by Sail-World Cruising round-up