Rescue ship reaches stranded British yachtswoman Susie Goodall

The 29-year-old was competing in a 30,000-mile round-the-world race when she lost her mast during a “ferocious” storm in the southern Pacific Ocean.

Goodall, from Falmouth in Cornwall, was lying in fourth place in the Golden Globe Race when 60-knot (69mph) winds and “massive seas” damaged her Rustler 36 yacht DHL Starlight on Wednesday.

She said she was “thrown across the cabin and was knocked out for a while”.

A distress signal from her yacht was first picked up by the Falmouth coastguard.

They alerted race control and the Chilean maritime search and rescue authorities responsible for that sector of the Pacific.

The authorities contacted a ship 480 miles (772km) southwest of Goodall’s position and asked for help.

The Tian Fu has now arrived alongside her stricken vessel, ahead of her being taken off.

Goodall is the youngest and only female competitor taking part in the non-stop yacht race, which sees competitors sail single-handedly without modern technology or satellite navigation equipment.

Competitors set off from France on 1 July and the race is expected to take around nine months.

The last time the race took place was in 1968. Sir Robin Knox Johnston was the only person to finish back then.

Eighteen sailors were taking part in this year’s race, but more than half have now dropped out.