Intrepid, the South African yacht that shot to fame after being jumped on by a juvenile southern Right whale, is back in the water.

Ralph Mothes and Paloma Werner were 100m away on their 10m steel training yacht in Table Bay, when it began a series of breaches and dives over while swimming straight for them.

‘How we did not get hurt is a miracle,’ said Ms Werner. ‘Thank God he hit the mast. Two metres further back and he would have been on top of us. Apparently he did not see us as the visibility is poor and we were sailing so had not the motor on. He was just having fun. The folly of youth!’

‘We have subsequently been told by whale experts that the whales have poor eyesight,’ Mr Mothes told SA-People magazine. ‘Had we put our engines on it probably would not have happened.’

The couple, who run Cape Town Sailing Academy, replaced the yacht’s mast and rigging and repaired damage to the coachroof in time for a Competent Crew course over the weekend – less than three weeks after the incident happened.