Ocean Rescue: The Race against Time, a one-off 60-minute documentary into the rescue of Alex Thomson, will be shown on More4 at 10pm tonight.

33 days and 7,000 miles into the first leg of the Velux 5 Oceans race, Alex Thomson was fighting for his life and preparing to abandon ship after the keel on his yacht broke loose in the icy Southern Ocean. Out of range of the rescue services, with a 50-knot storm imminent, Thomson’s sole chance of survival was for his adversary to turn back and sail nearly 100 miles in a Force 8 gale to attempt a rescue.

The drama unfolded in one of the most isolated parts of the planet; both kept their on-board cameras rolling throughout, with Thomson disclosing his gravest fears from the fragility of his life raft. Just when the extraordinary rescue seemed to have been successful, Golding’s mast snapped. Subsequently, Golding and Thomson, who had been openly hostile towards each other before the start of the race, were forced to live together in Golding’s tiny cabin for seven days as they battled their way to safety.

Ocean Rescue: The Race against Time is produced by APP Broadcast, and exec produced by Andrew Preece. The programme broadcasts on More4 on the 18th January at 10pm.