She has been raised up and patched up today, but 'D-day' could be tomorrow when a tug will attempt to tow GMIV off the Rangiroan reef. Paul Gelder reports from on location...

YM editor Paul Gelder has just spent the day with the salvage team on Rangiroa, French Polynesia, watching ‘phase one’ of GMIV’s reef rescue operation: to make her watertight again. Sandbags and tyres were inserted beneath her so local salvage experts were able to apply patches to her hull – despite being washed by the waves breaking on the edge of the reef 25m away.
Phase two, ‘the critical stage’ begins at 0730 local time tomorrow when a Port Authority tug from Tahiti will attempt to tow Gipsy Moth off the reef, using giant scaffolding boards as a sacrificial skid. Watch this space for the results tomorrow?