The dynamics of the accident that occurred in recent days to the Bavaria 55 during the Cape2Rio race, in which an Angolan sailor lost his life and the boat was left adrift, has finally been revealed. It was the German shipyard’s marketing manager Daniel Kohl who sent an email recounting the dynamics of the accident. The Bavaria 55 Bille during a storm with winds up to 60 knots and waves up to 10 meters high had decided to withdraw from the race and was heading back toward South Africa, to Cape Town.
A wave of gigantic proportions hit the Bavaria 55 and the boat capsized, making a complete 180° rotation. When the boat floated properly again, it found itself without a mast and with one less crew member, Angolan Antonio Joao Bartolomeu. Despite searches, he has not been found. Launching the mayday, the boat was reached by a South African military ship that pulled the rest of the crew to safety and tried to tow the Bavaria, but later abandoned the drifting yacht because it had to respond to distress calls from other crews in distress.