#vor – 'This is an extreme sport. Extreme things happen', says Team Vestas Wind Navigator Wouter Verbraak in his first interview since November's Volvo Ocean Race shipwreck in the Indian Ocean. The images and subtitles are courtesy of NOS Sport.

#volvooceanrace – This graphic picture (above) shows the stricken Team Vestas Wind from the Volvo Ocean Race lying in a reef in a remote Mauritius archipelago of St Brandon after being grounded there at the weekend.

The team and race organisers are now working out the best way to recover the Volvo Ocean 65 in the Indian Ocean.

Neil Cox, shore manager of the Danish team, said: "The photo paints a pretty graphic picture of what's going on out there. The picture tells a 1,000 words."

He said his focus was still the security of the nine members of the crew. "We have still got nine guys sitting on what is basically a sand pit out in the middle of the Indian Ocean. One of the crew is Irish reporter Brian Carlin from County Kerry.

"They are still the priority. It's a peace of mind to know they're all safe and doing everything they can out there with the boat right now."

Cox said that sail ropes, fluids, electronics and hardware had been taken off the boat.

The nine-strong crew abandoned ship in the early hours of Sunday morning after the collision at 19 knots at 1510 GMT the previous day and waded through knee-deep water to a dry position on the reef.

They were picked up from there at daylight by a coastguard rib and taken to the nearby Íle du Sud.

The islet has very little communications with the outside world and the crew are awaiting transportation back to Mauritius. This is expected to happen within the next 24 hours.

The National Coast Guard of the Maritime Rescue Co-operation Centre (MRCC) of Mauritius took the pictures as part of its usual operations after such an incident.

The crew have received food packages via an airdrop from a coastguard plane. It confirmed that all were uninjured in the collision.

#volvooceanrace – In a dramatic developement in the Volvo Ocean Race tonight, Team Alvimedica looks set to rescue crew from Team Vestas after its grouding in shoals in the Indian Ocean with Irish team member Brian Carlin onboard. No one is reprted injured but the boat appears to have incurrred substantial damage to its hull and rudders.

At 20.30 tongiht Team Alvimedica has now arrived at the site, is in radio contact with Team Vestas Wind and standing by to assist Team Vestas Wind, waiting for daylight.

Race Control is in contact with Team Vestas Wind every hour. The situation is currently stable on board and the crew plans to remain on board until daylight.
There is also contact established with a coastguard station on Isle de Sud, approximately 1.5 km from the boat, which has a RIB available.
The plan is for this vessel to assist in abandoning the boat as soon as possible after daylight.
Both rudders have been reported broken by the Team Vestas Wind crew. The team has also reported water ingress in the stern compartment.
The Volvo Ocean 65 has watertight bulkheads in the bow and the stern. The remaining part of the boat is intact including the rig.
We will update as soon as we have further information.

ORIGINAL STATEMENT
At 1510 UTC, Saturday, November 29, Team Vestas Wind informed Race Control that their boat was grounded on the Cargados Carajos Shoals, Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean. Fortunately, no one has been injured.
We are in contact with the boat to establish the extent of the damage and ensure the crew is given the support needed to enable it to deal with the situation.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Reunion Island is aware of the problem.
The crew has informed us that it is currently grounded on a reef but nobody is injured. Volvo Ocean Race and Team Vestas Wind's top priority is to make sure the crew is safe.
The crew has informed Race organisers that it now plans to abandon the boat as soon as possible after daybreak.
Team Alvimedica and two other vessels are in contact with Team Vestas Wind to assist.
We will give you more information as it becomes available.