French sailor rescued by cruise liner

A French sailor has being rescued in the Southern Ocean off the coast of Tasmania after being stranded for three days due to bad weather forcing him to abandon his yacht.

Yachtsman Alan Delord, 63, who was attempting a solo round-the-world voyage, ran into trouble on Friday 18^th January, 500 nautical miles from the capital city of Hobart.

His mast was broken due to the bad weather, leading him to abandon the boat and seek refuge in his life raft.

After three days adrift he was rescued on Sunday by the cruise ship MV Orion, which was the only ship within 100 miles of his life raft.

The Orion was on its return from the Antarctic when it answered his distress call and it changed course to pick up Mr Delord.

A spokeswoman for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said: “He is currently receiving medical attention and early indications are that he is healthy.”

Alan Delord is an experienced sailor who was attempting the Vende Globe race route, though he was not a competitor.

The race is a serious test of individual endurance and is regarded as the ultimate in ocean racing. 

Daniel Cotter