The Auckland family rescued by the French navy are back home tonight,
and they are unlikely to forget their adventure on the high
seas.
The family of eight left New Zealand in May,
spending several weeks sailing around the islands of
Tonga.
Last week they set sail for home, but just a couple
of days away, bad weather struck and the yacht's mast
snapped.
At the helm when the disaster struck were two
teenage brothers.
Still wearing the overalls provided by
their French Navy rescuers, 18-year-old Josh and 13-year-old Thomas are thrilled
to be back on dry land. The pair have been sailing for as long as they can
remember, but the trip to Tonga was their first in foreign
waters.
"Sailing has been a very integral part of our
lives," says Josh. "We've always been working on the boat and always out
sailing, and our holidays are nothing else but
sailing."
"My dad really tried to get us involved in
sailing from birth," says Tom. "I know my sister Rebekah from the moment she was
six days old, she was on the boat sailing."
But no amount
of experience could prepare them for three days of wild southern seas.