In YACHT 5/2006 we reported on the successful restoration of the "Gipsy Moth IV"
After a decade-long break on land, the legendary ship of the English sailing pioneer Sir Francis Chichester was only put back into the water last autumn after extensive restoration.
The 53-foot steel yacht in the museum dock in Greenwich had recently led a rather bleak existence for almost 40 years, after Chichester was the first to sail around the world with one hand with just one stop in 1966/67. His journey had lasted 247 days, which ended with a gradual reception on his return.
The heavily rotten ship had been restored by Camper & Nicholsons for 300,000 pounds by summer 2005 and then started the British Blue Water Rally in autumn under the leadership of the renowned British sailing academy UKS (United Kingdom Sailing Acadamy).
There are contradicting information about the current position of the ship. According to some local sources, the situation is hopeless. "Gipsy Moth IV" is located on a notorious reef of the Rangiroa Atoll, which due to its shallows and treacherous currents has already become fatal for many yachts, including Thor Heyerdahl's famous "Kon Tiki". The reef is almost inaccessible and a severe storm is about to sweep across the region.
The British sailing magazine "Yachting Monthly", which was in charge of the fundraising campaign for the restoration of the ship, writes on its website that the ship is stable and safe on the reef and is only a short distance from deep water. The weather forecast is also good. A rescue team is on the way to the ship. The young crew and their skipper are now in Tahiti.
Nobody was injured in the accident, the exact course of which is not yet known. However, the ship has sustained visible damage to the starboard hull, according to Yachting Monthly.
Rangiro is the largest island in the Tuomoto Group, around 150 nautical miles east of Tahiti in the Pacific.
David Green, head of UKSA, has since said that they are willing to do whatever it takes to save the famous yacht. In the spirit of Chichester one will face any challenge, however difficult, that a circumnavigation of the world might bring with it.
