Aground after fatigue and gear failure

by Marco Nannini, Global Solo Challenge
As the seventh and final competitor in the 2023-24 Global Solo Challenge, Louis Robein is now in Ushuaia, Argentina after running aground in Bahia Aguirre, in the southeastern peninsula of Mitre in the Tierra del Fuego. He was very fatigued when the incident happened after sailing his X37 Le Souffle de la Mer III with no autopilot for over three weeks in the Pacific before rounding Cape Horn on April 5.

Robein intended to reach Ushuaia for repairs after rounding the Cape, but northwesterly winds of up to 60 knots made it impossible to immediately motor up the Beagle Channel, so he spent the evening on April 5 until the following morning hove-to, drifting slowly with sails on opposite tacks, in the shelter of the Tierra del Fuego and the archipelago de the Islas de Hornos.

By midday on April 6, the wind had decreased enough for him to start making way towards the coast of the Tierra del Fuego before heading west up the channel to Ushuaia. But when steering in the cockpit, and with no autopilot, Robein was unable to easily and quickly plot his position on the paper charts as the wind would immediately blow the boat off course.

As the sun was setting and the profile of the headlands started to fade, he was confident he was motoring up the Beagle Channel despite the approaching darkness. However, the waning light of day and a dead reckoning misjudgment resulted in him motoring into the Bahia Aguirre.

This area on the Mitre peninsula is uninhabited and is a protected natural reserve with no electricity or shore lights of any kind. The San Gonzalo lighthouse on the western entrance of the bay and the Elizalde light to the East, which are used to mark this well protected bay, were not functioning, leaving Robein to navigate a dark coast with no easy reference points.

With the wind coming from shore, the water was perfectly flat and the bay pitch black as the next day marked a new moon. Before he could realize the error, he ran aground on the sandy bottom of the bay. All efforts to free the boat were unsuccessful, and whilst trying to move the boat around with the engine, the emergency tiller bar broke.

He called the French coast guard at Cross Griz Nez asking them to liaise with local rescue authorities to send help. Once notified, I spoke to MRCC Argentina and forwarded Louis’ safety dossier and details of the boat, then spoke to Cross Griz Nez and remained on standby whilst the incident was being dealt with the Argentinian Navy who are the National Maritime, River, and Lake Search and Rescue Authority in Argentina.

The official account published on the Ministry of Defense website reports that:
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The case was taken over by the coordinating center (MRCC) Ushuaia, which dispatched the fast boat ARA ‘Indómita’. The Navy vessel sailed from the military pier of the Naval Base Ushuaia at 4:20 a.m., with a doctor and salvage divers on board.

Furthermore, the Argentine Navy established contact through satellite phone with the sailboat’s only crew member, Louis Robein of French nationality, ensuring his good health and indicating the measures taken.

At the same time, it contacted the nearest ship, ‘Moonrise G’ under the Panamanian flag, which headed to the area and remained in the safe waters of the bay in radio contact with the crew member; waiting for the arrival of the Navy personnel with smaller boats and salvage divers, capable of assisting him in the stranding position of his vessel.

From the early hours and throughout the day, MRCC Ushuaia maintained contact with the Gris-Nez France Search and Rescue Coordination Center, as well as with the authorities of the French Consulate in Argentina and the honorary consul of France in Ushuaia, Mario Guillermo Eiriz.

Upon the arrival of the fast boat ARA ‘Indómita’ to the location, prevailing winds in the area exceeding 50 knots, prevented the safe nautical operation of smaller boats. After establishing radio communication with the sailboat’s crew member, the unit remained navigating nearby waiting for better conditions.

After 3:00 pm the operation with RIBs was carried out, and the sailboat’s captain was extracted from the stranded vessel, who was taken aboard the Argentine Navy vessel for medical check-up.

After ensuring human life at sea had been safeguarded in accordance with the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue, the salvage divers conducted a thorough inspection of the vessel’s conditions, analyzing the feasibility of its towing.

Around 11 pm of Sunday 7th, the fast boat ‘Indómita’ sailed from Bahía Aguirre, Puerto Español, towing the sailboat ‘Le Souffle de la Mer’ towards the military pier of the Naval Base Ushuaia, where Consul Mario Eiriz was waiting, accompanied by the Commander of the Southern Naval Area, Navy Commodore José Alberto Martí Garro.
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We are extremely grateful to the Argentinian Navy for deploying such significant resources and dedicating time and personnel to deal with the situation so professionally, ensuring the safety and well-being of Robein first and then inspecting Le Souffle de La Mer III with their divers and towing the boat for 95 miles to Ushuaia.

The ordeal had a happy ending, the fact that the winds blew from shore ensured the stranded boat was not crushed or broken by waves onto the beach. Autumn is now starting to bite, air temperatures are sub zero and snowing, things could have easily taken a turn for the worse.

Had the wind been blowing from a different direction or the boat had hit rocks. Water temperature was just 7°C in the area and sudden flooding or the need to suddenly abandon the boat would have been met with a very high risk of suffering from deadly hypothermia within a very short span of time.

Robein needs plenty of rest before making plans for repairs as well as establishing the best course of action considering the advancing season that makes his onward journey more and more dangerous. We will find out more in the course of the next few days.

We never cease to be fascinated by his stamina and resilience in critical circumstances. This was a very unfortunate incident, made more than understandable considering the circumstances, the fatigue and and the fact Louis was in remote and unfamiliar waters in heavy weather conditions at night.

As many sailors before him he found out, often the safest place is the sea, not land, and fatigue can become such a critical factor and enemy. The incident per se was rather trivial if put in perspective with what Louis has achieved so far, inspiring all who have followed his incredible journey. Bon courage Louis Robein.

Race details – Entry list – Start times – Tracking

Attrition List:
DNS: Peter Bourke – Class40, Imagine
DNS: Ivan Dimov – Endur37, Blue Ibis
DNS: Curt Morlock – IMOCA, 6 Lazy K
DNS: Volkan Kaan Yemlihaoğlu – Open 70, Black Betty

RTD: Juan Merediz – Class40, Sorolla
RTD: Dafydd Hughes – S&S 34, Bendigedig
RTD: Ari Känsäkoski – Class40, ZEROchallenge
RTD: Ronnie Simpson – Open 50, Shipyard Brewing
RTD: Édouard De Keyser – Solaire 34, SolarWind
RTD: Pavlin Nadvorni – Farr 45, Espresso Martini
RTD: William MacBrien – Class40, Phoenix
RTD: Kevin Le Poidevin – Open 40, Roaring Forty

The inaugural Global Solo Challenge 2023-24 seeks to be a budget-friendly solo, non-stop race around the world. Using a pursuit format for the 2023-24 race, 20 entrants from 34 to 70 feet have start times between August 26 to January 6 from A Coruña, Spain, with the first boat to return deemed the winner.

Source: GSC