Joé Seeten, the Route du Rhum competitor who activated his distress beacon yesterday afternoon has been rescued by the crew of the Bahamas-registered tanker Stavanger Eagle.

The ship was was diverted to the zone approximately 640 miles to the south-west of the Azores yesterday when Seeten announced serious keel problems to his Class 40 yacht TMI Technologies. He also reported an injured shoulder that needed medical attention.

The director of race Jean Maurel and the MRCC Norfolk coordinated the rescue operations with the help of fellow competitor in the Class 40 fleet Frenchman Gwenc’ hlan Catherine who was nearby and relayed information via VHF during the operation.