Burnham-On-Sea yachtsman Mark Preedy is spending the Christmas holiday period on dry land in Australia after a medical drama at the end of the latest leg of the ten-month Round The World Yacht Race.
A crew member onboard one of the other yachts was taken ill and Mark’s crew was called to help.
Mark, pictured, was chosen earlier this year to skipper Uniquely Singapore, one of the ten yachts taking part in the 35,000-mile race.
His crew is currently in ninth place overall, having just finished the third leg – from Durban to Fremantle – in seventh spot.
But there was drama during the race when one of the crew onboard rival yacht, Jamaica, fell ill.
Mark’s yacht was asked by race organisers to rendezvous with Jamaica to transfer medical supplies across to a poorly 29-year-old female crew member.
“She had been suffering from seasickness and in order to combat dehydration and treat a kidney infection she was given intravenous fluids by the onboard medic, a round the world crew member who is a fully qualified doctor,” said a spokesman.
Jamaica’s skipper said they had run out of intravenous fluids and arranged with Mark to meet Uniquely Singapore who transferred over their supply.
The transfer took exactly ten minutes to complete and the whole operation, including starting the engine and motoring towards the yacht, then returning to the position at which they had started their engine, was carried out without penalty.
After spending the Christmas period in Australia, the fleet will head due north, crossing the Equator for a second time, before stopping in Singapore.
Mark set sail from Liverpool in September 2007 and is not due to return to the UK until July 2008.
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