OK, You are going to have to go to the website to get a picture of what saved us, a super yacht with a mast so tall it can't even get under the Golden Gate Bridge. The Guinness book of world records came to pick us up. Well if calling a MAYDAY in the ARC wasn't going to get me Googled this was for sure! Here is the Mirabella V's Website.
Once the plug had been pulled from my command I just went along for the ride. I remember watching the liferaft going over the side and seeing COMPROMISE emblazoned on her canopy. The site of her bold lettering filled me with a sense of pride. I had been instructed to enter the liferaft first and I manage it with a forward somersault. We had a classic moment with Sophie hauling all the luggage into the liferaft and Finbarr and myself telling her to abandon the last backpack before joining us in the small little raft. Over on the other side I was first up on the ladder and was body surfing on a sea of hands once I reached the top of the Mirabella V's deck. There was even a guy in a wet suit ready to jump over board in case we fell in. Top banana. We had the right guys on the job.
Somewhere between all the introductions and excitement of the crew I was offered a cup of tea down bellow. As the evenings darkness finally closed in I asked to spend a couple more minutes on deck to take one last look at Compromise. All I could see was her port masthead light bobbing on the open sea.
But enough of my sad sailors lament. We were in the hands of a good man, David Dawes, master of the Mirabella V. Here is his account of the rescue.