KRASNODAR, March 31. /TASS/. Russian yachtsman Vitaly Yelagin, who embarked on a solo round-the-globe voyage in October 2023 and was out of touch for some time, headed to the port of Mar del Plata in Argentina, where he will complete his journey, his follower Alexey Chvanov told TASS.
"Vitaly’s task is to find a port on the Atlantic coast of Argentina where he can leave the boat for the winter. He has coordinates on board, but no maps. The nearest port with such conditions is Mar del Plata. There he plans to complete his round the globe trip," Chvanov said.
He also said that the yacht "Daughter of the Wind" requires repair work.
Speaking about the yacht project, Vitaly Yelagin’s friend, yachtsman Andrey Trefilov, told TASS that the vessel was designed by Viktor Yazykov specifically for a solo circumnavigation.
"Vitaly was directly involved in the construction of the yacht. Natural balsa was used for the hull - a soft porous material that provides positive buoyancy. It is covered with several layers of veneer on each side, and the entire hull is protected by extremely durable and lightweight carbon fiber," said the yachtsman, adding that the layout of the yacht has many small compartments for hermetically sealed storage of food and belongings, which in an emergency create additional buoyancy tanks with air.
Earlier it was reported that Yelagin was lost on March 19, when he was near the Chilean coast. Later, he managed to contact an Argentinian rescue boat on the night from March 26 to 27 and reported his coordinates off Argentina.
The search for the captain of the yacht "Daughter of the Wind" involved the help of the Russian Embassy in Chile, satellite and radar images of the LKP zone (the last known position) and the intended route.
Vitaly Yelagin, who is a Russian champion in yachting, sailed off on his circumnavigation voyage on October 1, 2023 aboard the Daughter of the Wind Yacht, which was designed by prominent Soviet yacht designer from the Krasnodar Region Viktor Yazykov. According to Yelagin, he wants to "proudly carry the Russian flag around the world.".