A British professional captain who survived the night time capsize of catamaran Leopard last November has been reunited with the yacht after she was found off the North Carolina coast near Morehead City.
Charles Nethersole, from Hurstpierpoint, Sussex, and his two crew were rescued after he activated his ACR Electronics GlobalFIX PRO EPIRB when the Atlantic 57 sailing catamaran was flipped over by a likely tornadic waterspout during the night about 400nm north of the Dominican Republic on route from Chesapeake Bay to St. Maarten.
Over five months after she capsized, the Leopard was spotted about 25 miles off Cape Lookout and Sea Tow Crystal Coast was able to successfully salvage the catamaran and tow it back to Morehead City. The clean-up and sale of the yacht is ongoing and she is reported to be in good, stable condition.
Nethersole joined ACR Electronics SurvivorClub following the successful rescue in which the Leopard crew was picked up by nearby freighter, the M/V Aloe. Now in its fourth year, the initiative is nearing 200 members. The program provides a free replacement beacon for all its members and helps to provide compelling, first-hand evidence that 406 MHz beacons should be part of every boater’s safety kit. For information on ACR Electronics, go to http://www.acrartex.com/.
