The search for sailboat Tunante II
The families of Horacio Robert Morales, Alejandro Vernero, Jorge Benozzi and Mauro Capuccio are continuing to search for their sailboat Tunante II which was damaged by a storm in the western Atlantic ocean last year.
Below I have reproduced the text from their website and would ask that anyone with friends or colleagues operating in the area keeps a sharp lookout and reports any sightings.
Tunante II left San Fernando (Buenos Aires, Argentina) on August 22nd 2014, on a pleasure cruise to Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
On August 26th a call was received from one of the satellite phones aboard the Tunante II, to advise relatives that due to a storm in the area (100 nautical miles East of Rio Grande Rio Grande do Sul) the boat heeled over, had problems with the rudder, lost sails, engine, batteries, and the mast would probably not survive the storm.
Communication was maintained for 13 hours after the rollover, with hourly updates on their position, and they assured relatives they were all four in perfect condition. The last clear communication was on 26/08 at 23: 50 pm, from which they obtained a fix; then there was a further communication during the early hours of Wednesday 27th when a merchant ship called Norwegian Selje visually sighted them, and stood close by for a few hours until 4:00 a.m. when they lost sight of the Tunante II.
According to Inmarsat which provided the two satellites phones on board, they detected a last activity on the morning of August 28th, precisely at 02:53:43 UTC and 11:08:15 UTC, which proves their surviving the storm.
From their last position, the 5th Brazilian Navy District of Rio Grande do Sul, began to calculate their drifting course from first notice, commanding this operation with the Air Force, from Curitiba. All the air and sea searches were calculated through estimated courses and speeds for winds and currents in the area.
Thanks to a personal contact with Digital Globe Company relatives used software called TOMNOD that provided satellite imagery. The searched area was mapped and periodically updated, and 39,000 people from all over world joined this cause.
These satellite images showed, on 30/08 and 02/09 two sequential images with the size and shapes matching the Tunante II, in an unusual zone for sailing boats. The last image was found on 28/09 and analyzed by experts in satellite teledetection together with Nestor Volker (designer of the Tunante’s Van 41 class) and oceanographers Ezcurra & Schmidt and the position and shapes in the image certified a 90% match with Tunante II.
This image caused the search to be reactivated by Brazil, after being suspended on September 14th. On October 14th a new SAR Warning was issued, stating Last Known Position on October 13th 19:31 at coordinates 29°14′ 3,4908″S – 46°12′ 59,0718 W. Brazil suspended the search again on 22nd October.
Presently, the Argentine Government continues the search through microwave satellite swaths and verification flights.
For more information or to report sightings, contact: veleroamorypaz@gmail.com, giovannabenozzi@gmail.com or veronicanicolini@hotmail.com
http://buscandoaltunante.com.ar/search-the-sailboat-tunante-ii/