Found Safe France - Robin Davie, 67, missing at sea, sailing to Falmouth (UK), Les Sables-d'Olonne, 5 Jan 2019

[cybervampira]

Experienced solo sailor missing at sea

Search and rescue efforts are under way to find Robin Davie, 67, who left port in France on Saturday on a 300-mile journey to Falmouth, Cornwall.

His brother reported him as overdue on Wednesday morning when there had been no contact.

Mr Davie has sailed solo around the world three times and is entered in the 2022 Golden Globe race.

The race organisers say they have "serious concern" and it is not thought he has an electronic tracking device or an emergency radio beacon for raising the alarm if he got into difficulty.

He is understood to have a VHF radio that could potentially make contact with passing ships.

'No distress alerts'
Wind conditions have been light to mild, and continue to be so.

Mr Davie, from Falmouth, had travelled to Les Sables d'Olonne, in Vendée region of France, to fit a new mast and rigging.

 

[cybervampira]

British round-the-world sailor missing at sea after failing to return to UK during 300-mile trip

[...]

Friends described the highly-experienced sailor’s disappearance as a “total mystery”.

Barry Pickthall, a yachting journalist who has known Mr Davie since 1990, said: “We are all gobsmacked, we just do not understand it. It has been so mild and calm and there is hardly any wind, so he has had calm seas the whole way.

“We organised an all ships alert and nothing has been turned up, and yet this is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. It’s a total mystery.”

[...]

 

[silverjug]

British round-the-world sailor missing at sea after failing to return to UK during 300-mile trip

[...]

Friends described the highly-experienced sailor’s disappearance as a “total mystery”.

Barry Pickthall, a yachting journalist who has known Mr Davie since 1990, said: “We are all gobsmacked, we just do not understand it. It has been so mild and calm and there is hardly any wind, so he has had calm seas the whole way.

“We organised an all ships alert and nothing has been turned up, and yet this is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. It’s a total mystery.”

[...]

I wonder if he could have been hit by a tanker/freighter and no one noticed. It would not be the first time this has happened.

 

[Elainera]

Mr Pickthall said as Mr Davie had just fitted a new mast the C’est la Vie didn’t have an aerial when he set sail seven days ago, which cut the range of the on-board radio from around 30 miles to seven.

He added: “However he has a liferaft on board with an emergency radio and a GPS set, so we don’t understand. It is all conjecture: Has he hurt himself down below? Has he fallen overboard? Has he hit a ship and the ship hasn’t noticed?”

snip

UK and French Coastguard made broadcasts via satellite, Navtex and VHF throughout Friday, but received no response.

The French Coastguard aircraft, which was also engaged in the search will be back out again on Saturday morning while a UK Coastguard aircraft is likely to join later in the day.

British round-the-world sailor missing at sea after failing to return to UK during 300-mile trip

 

[Elainera]

A solo sailor who sparked a search when he was not heard from for six days has sent a radio message to say he is safe, well, and on his way to Cornwall.

... on Friday the coastguard said Mr Davie radioed to say he was 25 miles south-west of the Isles of Scilly.

The coastguard said: "The skipper of the yacht 'C'est la Vie' has just reported that he has heard the broadcast action being made by HM Coastguard and that he is safe and well."

'Missing' yacht sailor radios in

Yay!!

 

[cybervampira]

https://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/ne...an-robin-davie-due-in-falmouth-safe-and-well/

Mr Davie told them that due to the weather conditions, he had to tack further to the west and it had therefore taken much longer than he had hoped to reach the Scillies. He had been out of radio contact range and without a mobile signal for quite some time, but as soon as he sailed closer to land he heard the broadcast and contacted the coastguard.