Singlehanded TransPac Entry Abandoned

July 15, 2012

The Singlehanded TransPac race committee has reported today that Derk Wolmuth had to be rescued from his boat, the Vindo 40 Bela Bartok: "Early this morning, Derk Wolmuth on the Vindo 40 Bela Bartok activated his EPIRB about 450 miles off the finish line at Hanalei Bay on Kauai, and broadcast on the SSB that he was requesting a medical evacuation. The Coast Guard enlisted the help of a RO-RO [roll on, roll-off] cargo ship that was about 80 miles away to effect the rescue. Around dawn, Wolmuth was safely taken aboard the ship and is scheduled to arrive in Oakland on Wednesday. The Coast Guard reports that Wolmuth had been ill for three days with what he suspects is a staph infection. Bela Bartok is currently adrift, or possibly sailing slowly toward Kauai thanks to her windvane, but the race tracker on the boat will continue to send position reports, which will be helpful in salvaging the boat as well as keeping mariners — including the 46 entries in the Pacific Cup — updated on her position."

The Vindo 40 is a Swedish design and is 31-ft in length overall. Derk is a Bay Area native who currently lives in Victoria, BC. To learn more about Derk and Bela Bartok, see: http://singlehandedtranspac.com/entries/derk-wolmuth.