JTFA just tweeted that 8 people were rescued from a sailboat early this morning off Lunenburg.
A quick check of marinetraffic.com appears to show the vessel Esprit De Corps IV aground off cross island. it stopped broadcasting AIS just after 6am this morning.
Esprit De Corps IV is the former Amver Sport 1, the VOR60 yacht that was owned by Derek Hatfield, as Spirit of Adventure. Hatfield died in 2016. the yacht was a frequent participant in the Route Halifax Saint Pierre and Marblehead races.
I have sent a message to Atlas Ocean racing for confirmation. – Updates to Follow.
UPDATE May 24:
Atlas Ocean Racing released a statement on Facebook yesterday:
At 4am AST on the 22nd of May, whilst returning from a season of racing in the Caribbean, SV Esprit de Corps IV was shipwrecked on Cross Island, NS.
20nm before Lunenburg, NS, her final port of destination, and under a very reduced set of sails, gale force winds complicated the manoeuvre of dousing the sails before entering the chanel leading to Lunenburg. The strong gusts and a loss of the ability to use the propeler led the boat to drift towards Cross Island where she ran aground. The crew prompted a PAN PAN to get the boat towed but later a water breech made the situation to upgrade to MAYDAY.
Maxime Grimard, skipper of the delivery of Esprit de Corps IV, acted in accordance with his safety in offshore sailing certifications and with the team’s safety procedures by protecting the crew first and foremost.
The 8 crew members of the sailboat wish to thank the Canadian Coast Guard and the crew of MV Salvage Monarch for their exemplary assistance in evacuating the crew. All members of the crew returned to land safe and sound.
After the crew, the team’s next priority became the recuperation of the vessel for environmental reasons and in order to salvage any equipment left. The team has set a protocol in motion to handle the recovery of any wasteful debris, in collaboration with Environmental Response of the Canadian Coast Guard.
Atlas Ocean Racing, Maxime Grimard, and Gilles Barbot (owner and official skipper of the boat), the insurance company and local experts, are actively seeking the most cost-efficient and practical solutions to recover what’s left of the boat as soon as possible.
We will keep you informed of the next steps in the recovery of the shipwreck. The goal is to return the boat ashore for inspection and evaluation of damage and potential repairs.
Thanks for your support,
Atlas Ocean Racing Team
They also posted that the yacht had been looted since it went aground, and before they could return to remove fuel.
#CCGRescueStories: This week in Mahone Bay, #NovaScotia the Inshore Rescue Boat team rescued 8 people from a vessel that ran aground. There were sustained winds of 25 knots and 2 metre seas. The crew worked hard to ensure all were safe. #CCGProud pic.twitter.com/ZByWdcET8h
— Canadian Coast Guard (@CoastGuardCAN) May 24, 2019
UPDATE June 6:
