By Vickie Frantz, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer
January 20,2013; 9:44PM,EST
Alain Delord was rescued by the cruise ship Orion on Sunday after spending three days adrift in a life raft 500 nautical miles off the coast of Australia.
Delord was competing in the Vendee Globe race and he was forced to abandon his yacht on Friday when rough weather broke the mast.
"In the south, the southern jet stream produces much stronger winds than the northern jet stream," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Samuhel.
The race starts and ends at Les Sables d'Olonne (located on the western coast of France). Competitors race around the world from west to east by way of the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn. The journey takes about three months.
At the time of the incident with Delord's yacht, he had been at sea for 69 days. As he awaited rescue, Australian authorities were able to drop food, water and a survival suit to Delord, according to the BBC.
The cruise ship made a 50-hour diversion to pick up Delord after hearing his distress call.
Delord was not injured and is said to be in good spirits.
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