Just got a call from my folks, sounds like the yacht Berserk is missing in the Ross Sea. At this stage things don't look good for the three sailors onboard, with The liferaft found empty and damaged and the EPIRB signal dead, Sounds like it was very bad weather... Lets hope for a miracle.
The movie "Berserk in Antarctica" was shown at our local midwinter film festival, It blew me away, watching Jarle take a 27 foot Alban Vega to the Antarctic Peninsula and was the biggest spur for me to sail to Antarctica. At the time I was at a bit of a loose end, and the movie gave me the motivation I needed to get things happening... And a couple of years later my brothers movie "Snow Petrel Down Under" was shown in the same festival... I have been following Jarle's adventures on and off ever since.
The combination of ice and very bad weather is a difficult one. My plan on Snow Petrel was to try to find a decent Iceberg and sit in it's lee (unfortunately also with the ice field that accumulates in this spot). But if that wasn't an option either motor directly to windward at slow speed, Heave to or drop the Series Drogue and drift, being ready to cut it to dodge any ice. I have no idea if these would have worked, maybe a sea anchor would be good in this scenario. Thankfully I had good weather while in the ice, Berserk was not so lucky.
A link to Berserk's Site Wild Vikings is in my blogroll. I will hope for the best for the crew of Berserk.
Look at http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/editorial-110225-1.html for a good article on the conditions and search, I feel for Jarle, Trapped ashore while his boat and crew are missing.
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