Please select your home edition
Edition
Pantaenius 2022 - SAIL & POWER 1 LEADERBOARD ROW

Yacht Berserk lost in Antarctica – safety measures questioned

by Nancy Knudsen on 28 Feb 2011
Skipper Jarle Andhoy, safe and on his way back to Christchurch SW
As the search for three missing crew of the yacht Berserk is abandoned serious questions are being asked about the safety measures of their expedition to Antarctica.

The three crew tragically lost to the Antarctic Ocean have been named as Norwegians Robert Skaane, 34, and Tom Gisle Bellika, 36, and sole British crew member Leonard Banks, 32. Other reports claim that Leonard (Lennie) is South African.


The surviving two of the original five members of the crew are Norwegians Jarle Andhoy, 34, a Norwegian TV celebrity who was the skipper of the yacht, and Samuel Massie Ulvolden, 18. They had been trying to reach the South Pole overland when the Berserk was caught in a severe storm and set off its distress beacon. After abandoning their quest and driving their quad bikes for almost 24 hours non-stop they have reached New Zealand's Scott Base and caught the last flight out of Antarctica to Christchurch before the approaching winter makes escape impossible.

An extensive air and sea search found no trace of the 14-metre Berserk, which disappeared in Mc Murdo Sound, 15 nm north of Scott Base, in minus 12-degree Celsius waters on 22nd February, except for its damaged life raft which appeared to have floated free from the yacht and had not been used.

Independent observers had questioned the safety aspects of the expedition before the yacht left Auckland. One Auckland mariner, commercial skipper Kevin Peat, who saw Berserk in the Viaduct said the boat had been made unseaworthy by its heavy cargo, including the quad bikes lashed to the deck.

'They had all the stuff sitting on the dock and we thought there was no way they could get it onto the boat, but, over a two week period they slowly, but surely, lifted the gear into the boat,' Peat said.

'We thought it was a joke, no way you would go with all that gear out it onto the ocean, certainly not the Southern Ocean.'

He said that the 'gear' included 44 gallon drums of fuel lashed to the deck, along with quad bikes, and that one bike was lashed over the engine room hatch.

Berserk was structurally sound, he said, but all the weight would have compromised its righting moment, meaning the boat would be vulnerable to capsize.

He said it would have cleared Customs but as a foreign flagged vessel, it could not be prevented from sailing, even though it was unsafe.

One of the vessels to respond to the emergency beacon was New Zealand's ice-strengthened patrol vessel, HMNZS Wellington, which was in McMurdo Sound at the time.

Simon Griffith, skipper Lieutenant Commander of the Wellington, told stuff.com.nz that they had encountered the Berserk at Back Door Bay.

'The yacht seemed a very sturdy, oceangoing yacht and they were three cheerful Norwegians,' Griffith commented, and the yacht was warned severe weather was coming.

However, other indications were that Berserk had not followed protocol in their voyage to the Antarctic. They needed to get permission from the Norwegian Polar Institute to sail below 60 degrees south, and official Jan-Gunnar Winther confirmed they did not have permission.

Scott Base manager Troy Beaumont commented, 'There are a whole lot of treaties down here and they have managed to violate every one of them,' he added.

The two surviving Norwegians are expected to meet with Norwegian consular officials on their arrival into New Zealand.

The Berserk expedition was attempting to mark the centenary of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen's South Pole expedition, which reached the South Pole on 14th December, 1912.

C-Tech 2020 Battens 2 728x90 BOTTOMHenri-Lloyd Dynamic RangeBarton Marine Pipe Glands

Related Articles

Sailing's Glitterati prepare for the Admiral's Cup
The depth and quality of talent is truly breathtaking. The 2025 Admiral's Cup is shaping up to be one of the most compelling editions in the event's storied history, featuring a glittering constellation of the sport's elite.
Posted today at 9:55 am
British Dragon South West Championship
A spectacular warm-up for the 2025 Edinburgh Cup Torquay delivered a spectacular warm-up for the 2025 Edinburgh Cup, as 13 Dragon teams took to the waters of Tor Bay for the South West Championship, a two-day regatta packed with shifting breezes, tactical gambles, and top-class racing.
Posted today at 8:59 am
Foiling Sport Congress gathers global players
To shape the Future of Foiling Last week, Malcesine hosted the first-ever Foiling Sport Congress — a by-invitation event organised to foster an in-depth discussion on the current state and future developments of foiling across all disciplines.
Posted today at 5:59 am
OK Dinghy Europeans at Warnemünde day 2
Charlie Cumbley leads at the half-way stage Britain's Charlie Cumbley holds a two-point lead at the half-way stage of the 2025 OK Dinghy European Championship in Warnemünde, Germany, after two more races were held on Monday.
Posted today at 4:14 am
Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup Day 3
The best female wave sailors in the world showcase their skills on the global stage After the men had taken centre stage for the opening two days of the 2025 Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup, today was the day for the best female wave sailors in the world to showcase their skills on the global stage.
Posted today at 4:11 am
Transpac Onboard Episode 4
Anything Can Happen at Sea All Transpac 2025 competitors are now at sea and actively racing to Hawaii. We take a look at the Pasha Live Race Tracker and talk about the significant wind hole confronting a contingent of competitors.
Posted today at 3:06 am
Stops & re-starts in first two legs of AEGEAN 600
A tough first night and early morning spent fighting zephyrs getting through the Cyclades After a beautiful breezy start yesterday, but a tough first night and early morning spent fighting zephyrs getting through the Cyclades, at the end of today's daylight the AEGEAN 600 fleet is back on the move.
Posted on 7 Jul
Helsinki Welcomes Top Double-Handed Teams
For the 2025 Garmin ORC DH European Championship The countdown is over - the 2025 Garmin ORC Double-Handed Europeans has officially begun in Helsinki. Organised by the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) in collaboration with Helsingfors Segelklubb (HSK) and the Finnish Offshore Sailing Association.
Posted on 7 Jul
British Classic Week Day 1
Northerly winds gusting 22 knots make for a brisk start Day one at British Classic Week in Cowes saw fast-paced racing around the cans sponsored by Spirit Yachts for over 50 classic and modern classic yachts.
Posted on 7 Jul
International Moth Worlds Opening Ceremony
137 sailors from 25 nations have gathered, featuring some of the biggest names in sailing After weeks of preparation and an intense lead-up, the 2025 Moth World Championship is ready to get under way. Official racing begins tomorrow, 8 July, on the waters of Lake Garda, with the event hosted by Fraglia Vela Malcesine.
Posted on 7 Jul