In a dramatic act of maritime skill and bravery, the crew of the 25-metre Oyster 82 sailing yacht Raven rescued a solo transatlantic rower who had been adrift in the Atlantic for two days after her rowing boat suffered critical malfunctions.
The Oyster yacht was en route to Antigua to join the bi-annual Oyster World Rally—a fully supported 16-month circumnavigation—when the call for help arrived. On 27 December at 7:00pm, Raven’s owner, Philippe Goossens, received news of a distress signal sent earlier that day from a 7.7-metre rowing boat, also named Raven.
Despite being more than 70 nautical miles from the signal’s location and running a tight schedule to reach the Caribbean, Goossens and his crew immediately turned the yacht back to assist. By 10:00am on 28 December, the team had located the rower, Rebecca Ferry, a 47-year-old solo rower from the UK attempting a 4,911km transatlantic journey from Gran Canaria to Barbados.
Ferry’s boat had lost all steering capabilities, and damaged solar panels prevented her batteries from charging. Using the remaining power, she was able to contact the Oyster crew via radio as they approached.
Chief stewardess Michelle Christie described the emotional rescue:
“[Ferry] got us on the radio, and finally, we were so close to her. She could see our mast on the horizon, but we couldn’t see her… It was a very emotional moment, and thankfully, she was okay. We did have choppy waters, but it was a very smooth manoeuvre.”
Under the guidance of Raven’s captain, Julien Orus, the crew carefully tied the rowing boat alongside the yacht and towed it safely. The sailing yacht then altered course, sailing 300 nautical miles to Mindelo in Cape Verde, ensuring Ferry reached land in time to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
Ferry, who had been at sea for two weeks before sending the distress signal, will rejoin the crew in February at the Panama Canal to assist with Raven’s Pacific crossing during the Oyster World Rally.
Goossens commented:
“It’s a really nice story, which in the beginning was a bit nasty, but then it turned out all really well. Ferry was saved, her boat is saved, and she will join us for a month or five weeks or so on board our boat.”
The Oyster World Rally is set to begin on 18 January, with 30 Oyster vessels covering 27,000 nautical miles over 16 months, including stops in the Galápagos, Southern Indonesia, Cape Town, and Grenada.
Credit: Oyster Yachts
Oyster Yachts owner and chairman of the Oyster World Rally, Richard Hadida, will share the full rescue account live from Antigua. The story is also featured on the Instagram account @sailing.lush.
