When the skippers of the Route du Rhum commit to the Aquarius
« Assistance to a person in danger is not a crime, it is a duty »
Their names are François Gabart, Kito de Pavant, Alexia Barrier, Isabelle Joschke, Thibaut Vauchel-Camus, Romain Pilliard or Luke Berry All these skippers have decided to support the Aquarius in its race against time to return to sea to save lives and will wear the colors of SOS MEDITERRANEE during the 11th edition of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, the big departure of which will be given to the 123 participating sailors on November 4 in Saint-Malo in Brittany.
It was on the occasion of a meeting today with Théo, Tugdual and Antoine, sailors-rescuers aboard the Aquarius, that several skippers of the Route du Rhum insisted on recalling this essential rule: assistance in sea is an obligation for every sailor. It is because they want to carry these fundamental values loud and clear that these solitary sailors have decided to speak publicly so that the Aquarius finds a flag as soon as possible and can resume its assistance mission.
This Wednesday, October 31, in the village of the Route du Rhum, there were seven solo sailors. For some like Kito de Pavant or even Alexia Barrier, it's kind of obvious: the Mediterranean is their garden and, even less than others, they can't accept that it turns into a cemetery. This drama Kito de Pavant touched him again during the ferrying of his Class40 to Saint-Malo when he came across three makeshift boats loaded with migrants trying to reach the coasts of Europe.
François Gabart is strongly committed to SOS MEDITERRANEE since he agreed to be its sponsor several months ago. Isabelle Joschke, activist of a truly mixed society where women and men would have equal rights and duties, or even Thibaut Vauchel-Camus, standard bearer in the fight against multiple sclerosis, could only endorse a cause humanitarianism of this magnitude. Finally, if Luke Berry, born in Australia of English parents who immigrated to Brittany from an early age, gave in to a surge of the heart, Romain Pilliard, promoter of the circular economy, could not be insensitive to the call of SOS MEDITERRANEAN. All of them, to varying degrees, intend to demonstrate that beyond their sporting performance, they are also citizens attentive to the smooth running of the world.
Resume our rescue mission as quickly as possible, carried by the citizens
Deprived of the flag after various political maneuvers, the Aquarius is still docked in Marseille: its teams are working tirelessly to study all the possibilities in the countries where the ship could claim to be registered. Meanwhile, UNHCR and IOM are sounding the alarm over the historic rise in the death rate in the central Mediterranean: 1 in 8 people attempting to make the crossing died in September.
« Our association was created by a captain, a sailor like all of us, who wanted the values of solidarity of seafarers to be respected and the golden rule which requires that anyone in distress be rescued without delay and disembarked in a "safe" port, as provided for in maritime law. Me, all I want is to go back to sea rather than watch helplessly as shipwrecks multiply silently at the gates of Europe. recalled Théo, lifeguard on the Aquarius, during his meeting with the skippers of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe.
They said
Kito de Pavant (Class40 Made in Midi) :“Assistance to people in danger at sea is not a crime. I am flabbergasted that the Aquarius was deflagged on false pretexts and that rescue at sea has obviously become a crime! It is a scandal that States do not themselves organize the rescue of these people who are subject to the whims of the sea on nutshells! »
Alexia Barrier (IMOCA 4myplanet) : “The Aquarius was the last ship to help migrants in the Mediterranean. This situation is unacceptable. That's why I chose to support the Aquarius from my qualification course on the Mediterranean, the sea that rocked my first memories. A sea that I refuse to see turn into a cemetery without doing anything! »
Isabelle Joschke (IMOCA Monin) : “Hearing the testimonies of the sailors of the Aquarius overwhelms me. Asking that this boat find a flag and be able to organize rescue operations in the Mediterranean again is the least we can do. »
Luke Berry (Class40 Lamotte Creation Module):“With Théo, sailor on the Aquarius, we have known each other for a long time. We grew up on the same street. When he told me about this group, it was obvious that I was taking part. »
François Gabart (ULTIME MACIF): “We find it difficult to leave people in distress on our playground. I have been supporting SOS Méditerranée for several years. Assistance to persons in danger is universal, and is anchored in us, sailors. Helping to save lives does not solve everything, but if we can already do something, that's already it. »
Thibaut Vauchel-Camus (Multi50 Solidaires en Platoon ARSEP): “It is deeply shocking to see how much of a problem saving lives seems to be. For us who go to sea above all for our pleasure, it is a duty to do our best so that this boat finds a flag and can once again resume its humanitarian missions. To know that the Aquarius is treated in this way shocks me. »
Romain Pilliard (Trimaran Remade Use It Again) : “We have been trying to help SOS MEDITERRANEE for several years. We are all sailing in these areas in the Mediterranean and a few hundred miles from us, people are dying. There have always been migrations in the history of great peoples, it is a strength for a country. We should be open to others. That France is not a leader in this area seems inconceivable to me. »
Jacques Valente (Class40 Destination Evian) : “A big thank you for what you do, hats off. We should never leave anyone in distress at sea, this situation is crazy. »
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On October 6, more than 40,000 people mobilized in 71 European cities to demand the rescue of the Aquarius. An online petition always carries this message and can be signed onhttps://you.wemove.eu/campaigns/sauvons-l-aquarius-et-le-sauvetage-en-mer
SOS MEDITERRANEE
Let's act together to save lives at sea
Over the past 4 years, more than 15,000 men, women and children have drowned in the Mediterranean trying to cross on makeshift boats. SOS MEDITERRANEE is a European association of citizens who charter the Aquarius to help those fleeing Libya. In two and a half years, 29,523 people have been rescued, 23% of whom are minors.
#onboardAquarius #TogetherForRescue @SOSMedFrance www.sosmediterranee.fr
Source: Sos Mediterranean France