On 17th June 2025, the Australian catamaran Rushour capsized while leading Groupama Race around New Caledonia. All on board were saved due to quick rescue operation carried out by Forces armées en Nouvelle-Calédonie – FANC (the French Armed Forces in New Caledonia).
Groupama Race was established in 2008 and, since then, allows the sailors to compete over a circumnavigation course around New Caledonia, including its World Heritage protected environment. The event is the world´s longest windward/leeward race and is open to mono- and multi-hull boats measuring over 8.5 metres in length.
This year, the race was organised for the right time. The official start took place on 15th June 2025 in Nouméa and the crews had to overcome the route length of 654 nautical miles (approximately 1,121 km).
On 17th June, approximately at 1:20 a.m., the Australian catamaran Rushour – which won the two previous editions of the race, held in 2018 and 2022, in multi-hull category – capsized west of Bélep as a result of adverse weather conditions. Her crew activated two distress beacons and shortly after the rescue operation was launched.
The alert was responded by Centre Opérationnel de Secours et de Sauvetage – COSS (the Operational Centre for Monitoring and Rescue) of New Caledonia, which diverted the Roamance boat, also participating in the race, to assist the Rushour crew. In addition, a Falcon Gardian (English: Guardian) aircraft – a maritime surveillance version of the Dassault Falcon 200 used by the French Navy – of the 25th Flotilla was deployed to locate the Australian catamaran.
Both Roamance and Gardian arrived at the site in a similar time. All crew members of Rushour were accounted for and Roamance stood by the Australian vessel until arrival of the rescue helicopter.
The FANC rotorcraft was rapidly deployed from Nouméa, although, due to distance to the accident site, had to be refuelled on its way. This operation was also secured by the French forces, which sent a refuelling aircraft to Koumac airport, in the North Province of New Caledonia.
Around 8 a.m., the Rushour crew was hoisted onboard the Puma helicopter of Escadron de Transport 52 (the 52nd Transport Squadron) ´Tontouta´. They were transferred to Koumac and then proceeded to Nouméa, this time aboard a CASA CN-235 airlifter assigned to the FANC.
All the six crew members of Rushour were saved and arrived Nouméa approximately at 4 p.m. the same day, while Roamance continued racing.
The FANC force provides a permanent French military presence in the South Pacific area, aimed to protect country´s interests in the region. With more than 1,450 personnel, the unit has a capability to respond to security or climate crises affecting the region, as well as to provide regular support to search and rescue operations at sea.
The FANC aviation component is being based at Paul Klein Air Base (BA 186) in Nouméa. It consists of two Gardian surveillance aircraft of the French naval aviation, as well as two CASA CN-235 light transport aeroplanes and three Puma rotorcraft assigned to the 52nd Squadron.
In addition, the FANC´s flag ship Vendémiaire, a Floréal-class frigate of the French Navy, embarks an Eurocopter Dauphin N3/Panther rotorcraft.
The COSS of New Caledonia was established in January of 2023, by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Nouméa. The Centre is responsible for maritime search and rescue operations, maritime navigation and pollution monitoring in the area of about 2.4 million square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean.
All photos © Etat-major des armées / French Ministry of Defence. Information from the press releases of the French Ministry of Defence – published on the MoD page in July of 2025 – were used, in accordance to the etalab-2.0 licence.
