Incidents in the Coral Sea.
Documented sailing emergencies in the Coral Sea — 2 records, each with sources, lessons, and links to the SeaWise procedures involved. Search by the water you're about to sail.
← Search & filter the full LogbookAround 1 a.m. on 17 June 2025, the Australian racing catamaran Rushour — leading the Groupama Race — capsized in deteriorating weather off the Belep Islands, north of New Caledonia, when its six crew lost control. Two distress beacons were set off. After a roughly 12-hour search, a military aircraft and a Puma helicopter located the drifting hull and hoisted all six crew to safety; no one was lost.
In early September 2023, an inflatable catamaran on a round-the-world attempt was attacked by cookiecutter sharks in the Coral Sea, about 519 nautical miles south-east of Cairns. The bites holed both inflatable hulls over two days and sank the boat. The three crew — two Russians and a Frenchman — set off an emergency beacon and were recovered unharmed by a passing car carrier.