Hobson capsizes

British trimaran skipper safe and sound after mid-Atlantic rescue

Newcastle orthodontist Ross Hobson, racing the Class 3 trimaran Ideal Stelrad in the Route du Rhum capsized last night at around 2300GMT, 1,760 miles from the finish line. The skipper immediately set off his distress beacons but has been unable to communicate.

At the time Hobson was just clipping the north side of the secondary depression with the wind shifting 180° from the south to the north over a very localised area. Considering this weather situation has been in situ in this area for almost a week now the sea state is likely to be exceeding rough and confused.



The Race Committee have been liasing with the CROSS Gris Nez, the MRCC in France, who have diverted two cargo ships to assist Hobson. At 0500GMT the Race Committee were informed that Hobson had been successfully rescued and had been brought on board the cargo ship Carmen. The ship is bound for Spain where she is due to dock on 12 November.

Hobson, a past winner of the two handed Round Britain and Ireland Race and a class winner in the 2003 Transat Jacques Vabre, the Rolex Fastnet Race and the Round the Island Race, was racing the 40ft Rowsell and Morrison built trimaran, Nic Bailey originally designed and campaigned to a class win in the 1988 Carlsberg One-STAR, transatlantic race. Under two different owners the boat has since been a double winner of the Royal Western YC's Round Britain and Ireland Race.