A medical emergency is unfolding in the South Atlantic, where Golden Globe Race entrant Guy de Boer has requested urgent evacuation from his yacht SPIRIT after a fall left him unable to walk or use his arm.
De Boer contacted race organisers directly by satellite telephone shortly after 16:00 UTC on 7 November, reporting that he could no longer use his left arm, stand or maintain his balance, and was unable to eat. He is roughly 800 miles east of Rio de Janeiro, sailing in light winds towards the Brazilian coast.
Race founder Don McIntyre notified Brazil's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre at 16:20 UTC, and an official situation report followed ten minutes later requesting urgent evacuation assistance. SPIRIT's YB satellite position reporting was increased to every 15 minutes to support the coordination effort, and a Brazilian doctor made contact with McIntyre at 18:36 UTC to begin assessing de Boer's condition remotely.
A Brazilian Navy corvette, Barroso V34, carrying a helicopter, may be tasked with carrying out the rescue. As at 18:54 UTC, organisers said no completed evacuation plan had been confirmed.
The incident traces back to 2 November, when de Boer fell inside SPIRIT's cabin, striking his head and possibly losing consciousness. He reported the accident to Race Manager Georgie Vintner the following day and was instructed to seek medical assistance through MSOS, the race's medical support service. Dr Spike Briggs of MSOS advised de Boer against continuing in the race and recommended he sail downwind to Punta del Este for treatment.
De Boer acknowledged the advice but chose to monitor his recovery in the hope of continuing, reporting some improvement on 4 November. The doctor's concerns, however, remained unchanged. By 5 November, further balance problems had emerged, and de Boer indicated he intended to reverse course for Rio de Janeiro instead.
Concerned family members contacted MRCC Brazil late on 6 November, before reaching out to race organisers in the early hours of 7 November for further information. Organisers supplied SPIRIT's safety documentation, emergency equipment details, beacon codes and photographs, confirming at that stage that no direct evacuation request had yet come from de Boer himself. That request followed just hours later and was immediately relayed to Brazilian authorities.
Race organisers say de Boer's safety is their main concern, and they are passing all available information to MRCC Brazil to support the rescue effort. Further updates are expected once the evacuation plan is confirmed.
