Rushour’s Journey: From Capsize to Courage and Community
15 July 2025
We’re diving back into the 2025 Groupama Race, crew by crew, with never-before-seen photos and raw, emotional stories. And we’re continuing with one of the most unforgettable tales: Rushour.
From the get-go, the tone was set. At the mark rounding, a small mistake forced the crew to turn back to avoid a penalty. But this hiccup didn’t shake their determination. The Australian multihull quickly made a spectacular comeback, flying downwind along the east coast, literally carried by wind. Their strategy: build a lead before heading back upwind—always a challenge for this type of boat.
On Monday, June 16th at 8:00 PM, everything seemed under control. Becky Moloney, aboard Rushour, called us shortly after crossing the Grand Passage: “It was pretty rough, lots of movement, but overall, the route was fairly smooth.”
But just a few hours later, at 1:15 AM, everything changed: Rushour’s two distress beacons were triggered.
Cue full-scale emergency at race HQ: a crisis unit was immediately activated, calls went out—no response. The feared scenario began to unfold: a capsize. Anxiety spiked. If the crew hadn’t made it onto the hulls, hypothermia could be deadly.
At 5:00 AM, the COSS rerouted RoAmance, another Australian catamaran in the race. Shortly after 8:00 AM, Le Gardian confirmed the capsize and spotted several people on the overturned hulls, but couldn’t verify how many.
And finally, at 10:45 AM—immense relief: RoAmance arrived on site and confirmed that Drew Carruthers, Becky Moloney, David Renouf, Anthony Richardson, Stuart Cox and Lee Randall were all SAFE and unarmed. The tension broke like a wave. Tears of exhaustion, tears of relief.
FANC helicopters winched the sailors to safety. And in the days that followed, Drew Carruthers and Becky—supported by the CNC and an extraordinary human chain—launched a recovery mission for their boat.
Today, Rushour is back in Nouméa. Upright. On her own hulls.When we asked Becky to sum up the experience, she shared these words: “The Groupama 600 is one of our favourite races. 2025 had everything, including a tragic end for RUSHOUR. We are grateful for the warm welcome before the race and the deep concern and support for our yacht and crew after the capsize. We are humbled by the wonderful assistance that so many people in New Caledonia have offered us. We extend our sincere congratulations to the winners and finishers, and our deep gratitude to the organisers and rescue and salvage teams..”
An adventure that could have ended in tragedy—but instead forged an unbreakable bond between Rushour and New Caledonia.
A powerful chapter in the story of the 2025 Groupama Race.
– L’Oeil de Cha, Sky Prodphotography, Ville de Koumac, COSS, FANC and Rushour
