Graeme Francis, the New Plymouth sailor with four decades of history in the Solo Trans-Tasman Yacht Challenge, activated his EPIRB on the second day of the 2026 race, prompting a rescue operation in the Tasman Sea.
Update, 12:00am
Graeme has advised that the water ingress aboard Robbery is now under control. The Maritime RCCNZ will continue to monitor Robbery's progress and coordinate any assistance that may be required.
Maritime New Zealand's Rescue Coordination Centre took charge of the response, coordinating all available assets. At the time of the latest update, Francis remained aboard his Wilson 36 Robbery, actively working to pump water from the vessel.
Race officials issued a statement on 31 May 2026: "The safety and wellbeing of Graeme Francis remains our highest priority. Race officials continue to support RCCNZ and maintain contact with all relevant parties as the situation develops."
Francis had already withdrawn from the race before the EPIRB was triggered, with his tracker showing Robbery heading back toward Opua at 4.3 knots VMG earlier that Sunday. Conditions across the fleet had deteriorated sharply overnight, with multiple competitors reporting gusts above 55 knots after rounding North Cape. At 23 and a half hours into the race, Francis had checked in with a brief message: "A bit windy and lumpy seas out here. Hoping that it eases off soon." What caused the water ingress aboard Robbery has not yet been established.
The 69-year-old New Plymouth Yacht Club member brought more than 19,000 offshore miles of experience to the start line, together with a further 2,000 coastal miles. His connection to the Trans-Tasman goes back to 1986, when he first entered the race aboard a Chico 30 he had built himself. He returned in 2018, and this year lined up for a third crossing at the helm of Robbery, the early 1980s Wilson 36 he has owned and maintained for years.
Robbery is a vessel Francis knows in fine detail. Her interior joinery is fashioned from kauri drawn from the Tihuana ranges before a valley there was flooded, and he holds photographs of the logs being extracted. In the months leading up to the race he pulled the mast, fitted a new genoa, upgraded the instruments, and completed Cat 1 certification. He had set a target crossing time of 10 to 12 days.
His son, currently studying at Victoria University of Wellington, had been planning to fly to Queensland during his mid-trimester break to sail home with him.
Graeme, we are thinking of you.
