Flare helps superyacht crew rescue catamaran sailors in the Atlantic

11/01/2023

The crew of the 85-metre superyacht Victorious did indeed triumph in an 18-hour search and rescue of five sailors whose catamaran capsized in the Atlantic, with help from a flare.

One day in mid-December, the megayacht, under Captain Petar Milkov, received a radio request from the Fort-de-France Marine Search and Rescue Coordination Center. It was asked to help search for the crew of a capsized catamaran STAR, 500 nautical miles off the island of Martinique.

Victorious, which was due to be chartered in the Caribbean, changed course to help find the catamaran, which reported its last known position 23 hours earlier.

It later spotted a flare about one nautical mile away and despite harsh nighttime weather, located a life raft carrying five injured crew, picked them up and gave them medical help. Victorious reached the port in Philipsburg the next day, where the catamaran crew disembarked.

The captain and crew of M/Y Victorious were honored with a certificate of appreciation by the Presidency of the Fort-de-France Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center for their diligent work, maritime skills and humane attitudes, and for representing the solidarity among seafarers in the best way possible.

Chief Officer Emily Grassby, says, “I am so incredibly proud of the crew I am blessed to work with for their part in making this a success story. Everyone did their duty. This will have a lifelong positive impact on me and puts into perspective what’s important.”