29 December 1994
On the morning of 29 December 1994, HMAS Darwin was ordered to sail in search of solo sailor Isabelle Autissier. She was a competitor in the BOC Challenge – an around-the-world solo yacht race. Autissier’s yacht, Ecureuil Poitou Charentes 2, had lost its mast and suffered extensive damage. Autissier faced seas of up to 10 metres and 90-110km winds.
With its crew recalled from Christmas leave, Darwin was ready to sail from HMAS Stirling, near Perth, on the afternoon of the 29th. 816 Squadron went through a similar process at HMAS Albatross on the other side of the country. They prepared a Seahawk aircraft and its crew for a 14-hour trans-Australia flight and rendezvous with Darwin south of Albany.
Darwin reached the stricken yacht around 800 nautical miles south-south-west of Adelaide in the very early hours of New Year’s Day. The Seahawk launched at 3:15am, lowering a crew member by winch to the yacht, where he secured Autissier before both were lifted to safety.
The aircraft landed back on board at 4:05am. The following morning, the Seahawk flew Autissier to RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia. Darwin arrived back at Stirling on 5 January 1995 after a 3000 nautical mile round trip.
Two years later, the Royal Australian Navy was once again called upon to rescue not one, but two solo sailors from the Southern Ocean. This time, they were competitors in the Vendée Globe round-the-world solo yacht race. In the very early hours of 6 January 1997, the RAN commenced a search-and-rescue operation for race competitors Thierry Dubois and Tony Bullimore. They had activated distress beacons some 1,400 nautical miles south-south-west of Perth. HMAS Adelaide (II) departed Stirling that afternoon.
A RAAF Orion aircraft located Thierry Dubois on the hull of his upturned yacht, Pour 60 Amnesty International, that same afternoon. A second Orion sighted the upturned hull of Bullimore’s yacht, Exide Challenger, but there was no sign of Bullimore.
Adelaide’s Seahawk helicopter was hindered by inclement weather. It had made a 53 nautical mile flight on the morning of 9 January to winch Dubois to safety. With Dubois aboard, Adelaide proceeded to Exide Challenger, where there was still no sign of Bullimore.
Adelaide launched its sea boat to conduct a closer inspection. Bullimore had taken shelter from the elements inside the hull of his yacht. He finally responded to loud tapping on the hull and surfaced moments later. With both sailors safely aboard, Adelaide arrived back at Stirling on 13 January.