London IT manager Stephen Landles, whose ambition had been to sail to Sydney, found his yacht Lamachan on aground on a reef off Lord Howe Island, having made a mistake with some charts and gone north instead of south. He was only 400NM and three days from his goal, reported the Daily Telegraph.

The vessel was dragged by the weather across the reef, trapping Mr Landles for 24 hours before a helicopter flown by the Royal Australian Navy rescued him. The Telegraph quotes him as saying: ‘Tomorrow, I shall be going out to buy some dry trousers for myself. I did have some dry clothes, but those were washed away.’

He has recovered from his ordeal and is considering all available options regarding salvaging the yacht.