A rescue plane spotted the capsized boat of a French round-the-world sailor who triggered his distress beacon near Cape Horn on Tuesday, organisers said.
The Chilean plane flew over the boat at 8:50 a.m. British time and the yachtsman, Jean Le Cam, then triggered a second beacon, which suggested he was inside his capsized boat, organisers of the Vendee Globe solo yacht race said on their website (www.vendeeglobe.org).
A Chilean freighter was expected to reach the boat around 1:00 p.m. British time.
Le Cam was calling his shore team in France to inform them he was experiencing serious problems when the conversation was interrupted. He then triggered a first distress beacon.
Le Cam's boat was located around 200 miles west of Cape Horn and the weather conditions were difficult with gusty winds, organisers said.
A French yachtsman who fractured his leg while sailing in the same race was rescued by an Australian frigate in the Indian Ocean last month.
