On Tuesday evening, 31 October 2023, the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre(MRCC) located at the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) Centre for Sea Watch & Response (CSW&R) finally received the prestigious Seamanship Award 2022 bestowed upon it by the London based Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) early this year.
The award, whose handover was delayed by six (6) months due to logistics related matters, was bestowed upon the MRCC by the OCC in recognition and acknowledgement of its own contribution to the dramatic yet successful rescue of a Finnish sailor, Mr Tapio Lehtinen, who’s race yacht developed problems and had to be abandoned some 500 nautical miles south east of Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), South Africa; while participating in the 2022 instalment of the Golden Globe Race.
The solo sailing Mr Tapio Lehtinen, whose race yacht, the Gaia 36 ASTERIA eventually sank during the ordeal, was successfully rescued by another race participant, and a South African from Gqeberha, Ms Kirsten Neuschäfer, prior to his being transferred to a more a stable vessel, a bulk carrier vessel known as the DARYA GAYATRI, captained by Mr Naveen Kumar Mehrotra.
Survival and rescue story as personally narrated by Finish global yacht racer, 66 years old Mr Tapio Lehtinen at the OSASA/OCC awards evening in Cape Town.
The MRCC, according to the OCC, played a most critical role in the successful rescue of Mr Lehtinen, even as having collaborated closely with other role players. In receiving the award last Tuesday, at a function held at the Royal Cape Yacht Club’s Regatta Centre, located at the port of Cape Town a few miles east of the city, the MRCC joined Ms Neuschäfer and others, some of who had been presented with the honours at this year’s OCC annual dinner held Poole in the United Kingdom on 15 April 2023.
On hand to receive the MRCC award were the unit’s Acting Chief, Mr Almar Schutte and Duty Controller, Mr Donald Ratshibvumo, accompanied by SAMSA’s Chief Operations Officer (COO), Mr Sobantu Tilayi. All three shared a few remarks of gratitude to the OCC, the latter which presented the award to the unit Tuesday evening jointly with the Ocean Sailing Association of Southern Africa (OSASA).
They shared a common view that; the MRCC and SAMSA warmly welcomes the recognition and acknowledgement of its work both locally and domestically, also with great appreciation of the contribution and cooperation shown by other key roleplayers, such as Telkom Radio .
However, according to them, it is all really in a day’s work for the MRCC, with absolutely no anticipation nor expectations of awards beyond realisation of the goal of ensuring the safety of life and property at seas.
For their respective remarks, please click on the video links below.
Mr Schutte, in remarks prior to receipt of the award
Mr Ratshibvumo and Mr Tilayi on receipt of the award
For earlier remarks by the SAMSA Centre for Sea Watch & Response (CSW&R), Capt. Pretty Molefe, who could not attend due to other commitments, click here.
South Africa’s Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) is among recipients of this year’s Seamanship award by London based Ocean Cruising Club (OCC), in recognition of their role in the rescue of a Finnish solo sailor after he abandoned his sailing boat that sank about 500 miles south of the South African coast four months ago.
According to the OCC in an announcement, the Cape Town based MRCC, managed under the Centre for Sea Watch & Response of the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), will receive the award jointly with Capt. Naveen Kumar Mehrotra and the crew of the DARYA GAYATRI, and Kirsten Neuschäfer who at the time was a competitor in the 2022 Golden Globe Race.
The OCC said the recipients for this year’s Seamanship Award were nominated for “the exemplary coordination of the rescue in the Southern Ocean some 500 miles off the coast of South Africa.
The entire saga ensued on 18 November 2022 after, according to the OCC, Mr Lehtinen reported that his Gaia 36 ASTERIA flooded rapidly from the stern with water up to deck level and then sank.
“Tapio Lehtinen’s boat took on water at the stern and sank within five (5) minutes. Tapio set off his EPIRB, donned his survival suit, grabbed his ditch bag, and deployed his liferaft just before his Gaia 36 ASTERIA sank.
“He was rescued from the liferaft by Kirsten Neuschäfer (who was about 100 miles away at the time of the sinking) and was transferred to a bulk carrier in 3m seas and 25kn winds,” said OCC Commodore, Simon Currin
At the time, the OCC noted that MRCC Cape Town confirmed communication with Captain Naveen Kumar Mehrotra onboard the bulk carrier M.V. Darya Gayatri, approximately 50 nm NW of Tapio’s position, diverting course at 12,5 knots and rendering assistance with an ETA (estimated time of arrival) between 0830 and 1000 UTC on November 19.
“Kirsten called the race coordinators and confirmed she picked up Tapio from the lifer aft and proceeded to transfer him to the bulk carrier. Tapio was in good health and on board the carrier M/V Darya Gayatri en route to China. Kristen resumed racing. It was a textbook rescue that resulted in swift resolution in the Southern Ocean,” said Commodore Currin
According to the OCC, the awards recipients will be presented with the honours at this year’s OCC annual dinner scheduled for Poole in the United Kingdom on 15 April 2023. For the MRCC however, the award will be presented to the team at an occasion in Cape Town later in the year.
Capt. Pretty Molefe, head of SAMSA Centre for Sea Watch & Response.
Reacting to news of the award, SAMSA’s Centre for Sea Watch & Responde head, Capt. Pretty Molefe described the announcement of the conferment as both an honour and importantly; a crucial fitting indicator of the critical role that the sea watch and response centre and the MRCC independently play in the field of ensuring the safety of life and property at sea – effectively SAMSA’s legislated mandate.
She said: “South Africa, being signatory to the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue adopted by the International Maritime Organization, has an obligation to respond to distress calls within its designated Search and Rescue Region (SRR). This piece of legislation is domesticated by the SASAR Act 44 of 2002, within which falls the South African Search and Rescue Organization.
“MRCC Cape Town forms a crucial part of the South African Search and Rescue (SASAR) Organization, in that, it is tasked with coordinating all maritime SAR operations within our SAR region. A sizeable +/-27.7 million square km’s of it! At the centre for Sea Watch and Response, maintaining maritime domain awareness is of extreme importance for purposes of ensuring a timely response to incidents developing at sea, including Search and Rescue.
“Joining hands so others may live…” The successful execution of this rescue perfectly epitomizes this SASAR motto. Considering the very treacherous nature of the maritime environment, one would appreciate the fact that it takes teamwork and cooperation to execute and conclude a successful rescue operation, especially upon high seas. Not forgetting seamanship, as demonstrated by skilful sailors such as Ms Kristen Neuschäfer and the crew of the DARYA.
“The MRCC is manned by a team of men and women who are not only qualified but are equally as dedicated and attentive to each call that is received, whilst maintaining the highest level of professionalism, often under stressful conditions. I commend the MRCC team for their meticulous coordination of this rescue, in cooperation with the Master of the M.V. DARYA and Ms Neuschafer, which resulted in saving a life.
“We are extremely honoured to receive this recognition and such an important award, Seamanship Award 2022, issued by the Ocean Cruising Club. This industry is not one that is short of challenges but each one strengthens us and makes us better. Ensuring safety of life and property at sea remains imperative for us at the South African Maritime Safety Authority.
Mr Jared Blouws, MRCC Chief.
The view was also shared by MRCC chief, Mr Jared Blows; whose unit operates 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year, constantly keeping a watchful eye and in constant contact, when needed, with the thousands of vessels, big and small; traversing the three oceans region surrounding South Africa.
Mr Blows further expressed his thanks and congratulations to his team at MRCC for yet another successful rescue. He went on to congratulate the other award recipients without whom this would not have been possible.
“The team at MRCC display professionalism and strive to maintain world class standards even under very challenging times.
(File Photo) Assisted by the MRCC, sailors being rescued two years ago by South Africa’s research vessel, the SA Agulhas II, off the Gough Island after their vessel, the GeoSearcher, sank in the Atlantic Ocean.
“Over its almost 20 years being hosted by SAMSA, the MRCC has been involved in numerous incident with some notable being the 2011 rescue of 33 Taiwanese sailors about 2000nm west of Cape Town following their vessel having had an onboard explosion and fire resulting in them needing to abandon the vessel , the Cape to Rio (2014) yacht race rescue incident hours after the race started in very treacherous conditions and more recently the rescue of 62 sailors after their vessel, GEOSEARCHER (2020), sank off Gough Island,” remarked Mr Blows.
