Over the weekend, Team Vestas Wind ran aground 120 miles off the island of Mauritius, making contact with the Cargados Carajos Shoals. No one was injured, but the boat was abandoned and crew members climbed into life rafts to wait for local Mauritian support.
Team Alvimedica halted their own race to wait near the Vestas Wind boat until safety was ensured. Check out the video with incredible pictures of the abandoned boat below.
Some questioned how difficult it must have been to find the shoals, considering the technology available to the fleet. Cargados Carajos is a group of low-lying islands, only .8 square miles in radius, surrounded by coral reefs. From Scuttlebutt, "Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing skipper Ian Walker was not surprised by the incident. “When we went past there we actually said how easy it would be to hit it at night. Fortunately we went through there in the daylight. It is very difficult to see it with the electronic charts, and of course at night you wouldn’t see it at all.”
Alvimedica has resumed racing. We'll keep you informed to the state of Vestas Wind. For now, we're happy everyone is safe.
Read more at volvooceanrace.com
