Superyacht Gene Machine rescues crew

The captain and crew on board Amels' 55m Gene Machine have rescued the 44ft cruisier sailing yacht Minerva.

Facebook yacht groups had been filled with posts earlier in December regarding a sailing yacht which needed a tow; the yacht in question was 44ft cruiser sailing yacht Minerva, which had suffered a forestay failure whilst taking part in the annual Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), sailing from the Canary Island to St. Lucia.

The crew of Gene Machine, who are currently taking part in a charity cycling challenge on board, rescued the crew on Wednesday 7th December. Fraser Gow, captain of Gene Machine explained, As a result of the [forestay] failure, their mast snapped and and came crashing down. The crew of Minerva had no choice but to cut the rig free to prevent it from puncturing a hole in their hull. They salvaged what they could from the rigging and jury rigged a square sail using the pieces they had left over.”

Other yachts taking part tried to help, offering diesel to keep Minerva going, however she soon moved to the back of the racing pack, and no one was able to offer further fuel. Despite being over four days away, Gene Machine kept in contact and arranged to tow the yacht.

Captain Gow said, “Using our tender, we disembarked three of their five crew, rigged a towing bridle down their deck and connected the tow. Once satisfied that the 44ft Bavaria was towing nicely, we transferred the remained of their crew onto Gene Machine and continued our transit to Antigua.”

The crew are currently in transit, but due to arrive in Antigua today: Gene Machine for an owner’s visit, and Minerva for repairs. 

March 28, 2024
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