Catamaran Llama Lo - Two Missing After Yacht Capsizes Off South African Coast

[Geekatlrg]

French yacht overturns near PE - two missing | News24

Cape Town - A French and South African man are missing after their catamaran was found overturned in the water, while the pair were en route from Durban to East London, maritime officials said on Sunday.

“There is no sign of survivors, but the search is continuing,” said maritime rescue co-ordination centre duty controller Mark Steed.

Steed said that on Friday afternoon a distress beacon signal was detected, in the vicinity of where the French yacht, the Llama Lo, was located.

Four merchant vessels were sent to go and search the area: “They found a life raft, and the capsized hull and another inflatable dinghy.”

However, there was no sign of the two men, known to be aboard the catamaran.

Steed said that on Sunday, arrangements were being made to get rescue swimmers down to inspect the hull.

“There is sign of damage to the hull; how it got there, we cannot say.”

It was also hoped that merchant vessels in the area might spot something significant – although weather conditions were adverse.

“The weather is very rough at the moment; there have been huge swells; there have been high winds.”

Steed said that further information about the two men could not yet be released.

[Skip JayR]

very suspiciously... statistically its not very reasonable that both men had ben washed off board and by streams didnt get the chance to swim back to the boat.

A capsized cat is the best life raft one can have. So why leaving ?

I would not wonder if at least one of the two bodies would be found by the divers inside the hulls.

[belizesailor]

A floating cat, a liferaft, and a dinghy...odd if they intentionally left so many survival options.????

Could find live survivors inside the hull.

[Skip JayR]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Could find live survivors inside the hull.

Regularly Catamarans and Trimarans have "Escape Hatches". For Cruising cats mostly the position is on the bottom of the bridge or even each hull has one... and for Trimarans its starboard or port side of the mainhull...












I would never skipper a multihull which does not have an escape hatch as the hulls and saloon can become a trap...

[Geekatlrg]

I have not found any other news about it yet I hope the crew shows up. I wonder what kind of boat it was. The article mentioned that it had hull damage wonder what that was from

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Skip JayR

Regularly Catamarans and Trimarans have "Escape Hatches". For Cruising cats mostly the position is on the bottom of the bridge or even each hull has one... and for Trimarans its starboard or port side of the mainhull...

...

I would never skipper a multihull which does not have an escape hatch as the hulls and saloon can become a trap...

Yes, I know, I despise them. Almost always underbuilt, sometimes in positions that can cause crew/guest injuries if left open, WAY more likely to result in taking on water than to be used in a rescue.

Highly unlikely to flip the typical cruising cat, and plenty of other options for getting out if you do.

Mostly common use is as a sales gimmick.

[got cake]

Cape Town - The Frenchman and South African man who were reported missing at sea have been found.

Both were found alive and well adrift at sea in a life-raft about 51 nautical miles off-shore of Kidd’s Beach, East London on Sunday evening.

Jean Sitruk, 65, from Lyon, France and Kyle Castelyn, 30, from Strand were found at about 18:25 by the bulk carrier CMA CGM Rossini, confirmed NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon.

"The two survivors have requested to stay on CMA CGM Rossini bound for Cape Town and are due to arrive in Cape Town on Tuesday,” he said.

The Frenchman and South African were declared missing after their catamaran was found overturned in the water.

[belizesailor]

Good news, lucky for them.

Be interesting to hear why they left the boat etc.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Yes, I know, I despise them. Almost always underbuilt, sometimes in positions that can cause crew/guest injuries if left open, WAY more likely to result in taking on water than to be used in a rescue.

Highly unlikely to flip the typical cruising cat, and plenty of other options for getting out if you do.

Mostly common use is as a sales gimmick.

As I understand they are a CE requirement for European boats.

[mark_morwood]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Yes, I know, I despise them. Almost always underbuilt, sometimes in positions that can cause crew/guest injuries if left open, WAY more likely to result in taking on water than to be used in a rescue.

Highly unlikely to flip the typical cruising cat, and plenty of other options for getting out if you do.

Mostly common use is as a sales gimmick.

And required by ISAF rules if racing.

[Cavalier MK2]

Be interesting to hear the details about this. Keeping the raft tethered to the cat would have increased the odds of being found as well as giving them a breakwater.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by StuM

As I understand they are a CE requirement for European boats.

Originally Posted by mark_morwood

And required by ISAF rules if racing.

Still despise them.

[iSaint]

Found!

Missing men found alive and well adrift at sea | News24

[Boatguy30]

Glad they're ok. Seems odd 2 life rafts were involved?

[JPA Cate]

Not really, a big cat like that might need more than one if entertaining guests.

Ann