A crew member has been lost overboard mid-Atlantic from the Volvo ’70 Ocean Breeze, taking part in the racing division of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC). The casualty was reportedly wearing an automatically inflatable lifejacket with a personal AIS beacon attached. The Active Search has now been called off but all vessels able, should amend course to pass through the search area and keep a sharp lookout for any signs of a person in the water.

Published 14 hours ago, updated 1 min ago

Source:  World Cruising Club

Update from World Cruising Club, 03 December, 2024

It is with great sadness that World Cruising Club confirms that 33-year-old Swedish sailor Dag Eresund was lost overboard from yacht Ocean Breeze on Monday 2 December at 02:27 UTC.

The search was coordinated by MRCC Norfolk USA and involved Ocean Breeze, ARC yacht Leaps & Bounds 2 and motor vessel Project X. Air cover was not possible due to the distance of the incident from land.

With loss of daylight and in worsening seas, MRCC Norfolk ended the active search at 20:45 UTC on Monday 2 December. MRCC has requested that all vessels able, should amend course to pass through the search area of 20o24.838N 043o11.623W and to keep a sharp lookout for any signs of a person in the water. All ARC yachts have been asked to assist with MRCC’s request.

This area will be amended over time to take account of drift rates and weather conditions. MRCC Norfolk will continue to provide updated coordinates.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Dag Eresund’s family and friends and with all the crew members on Ocean Breeze at this unbelievably difficult time.

We thank the skippers and crew of Leaps & Bounds 2 and Project X for diverting to assist in the search.

World Cruising Club has the permission of Mr Eresund’s family to release his name.

We have no additional information about the incident and will release further information as it becomes available.

• Ocean Breeze is an Austrian-flagged 21.49m Volvo 70 racing yacht
• Leaps & Bounds 2 is a 19m Vismara 62 yacht
• Project X is an 87m motor yacht

Search Operation Being Co-ordinated by MRCC Norfolk USA, 02 December, 2024

At 02:27 UTC on the morning of Monday 2 December, a crew member went overboard from the yacht Ocean Breeze in the mid-Atlantic and a search was initiated by the vessel. The rescue operation is being coordinated by MRCC Norfolk USA.

MRCC (Marine Rescue Coordination Centre) Norfolk issued an emergency alert to all shipping for assistance and ARC yacht Leaps & Bounds 2 and motor vessel Project X are now involved in the search. Air cover is not possible due to the distance of the incident from land.

Ocean Breeze is an Austrian-flagged Volvo 70 yacht that is sailing in World Cruising Club’s (WCC) Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), the annual event from Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands to Saint Lucia in the Caribbeabn.

In a media statement World Cruising Club said they understood that the casualty was wearing an automatically inflatable lifejacket with a personal AIS beacon attached.

“We do not know the circumstances of the incident and we will not speculate.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the casualty, their family and friends and with all the crew members on Ocean Breeze at this unbelievably difficult time, ” said a spokesperson for WCC.  The casualty’s next of kin has been informed.

Ocean Breeze is one of 11 yachts sailing in the IRC racing division of the rally. Yachts in this division must comply with the World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations for Category 1 and the World Cruising Club safety equipment requirements.

In total, 820 people onboard 140 yachts are sailing in ARC 2024. The event departed from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Sunday 24 November, heading 2,700NM across the Atlantic to Saint Lucia. 2024 is the 39th edition of this sailing event.

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