French yachtsman rescued off Cape Horn

SANTIAGO/PARIS (Reuters) - French round-the-world yachtsman Jean Le Cam, whose boat capsized near Cape Horn, emerged from the stricken vessel on Tuesday and boarded another yacht, Chile's Navy said.

Le Cam was rescued by fellow-Frenchman Vincent Riou, who is also in the Vendee Globe solo yacht race, hours after his own vessel overturned overnight in treacherous, freezing waters off the southern tip of South America.

Riou had heard Le Cam call out to him earlier on Tuesday. Le Cam had not previously given any sign of life since triggering a distress beacon hours earlier.

"Le Cam...managed to get out of the boat himself, and was rescued by the yacht PRB," Chile's Navy said in a statement.

"He's okay, he's happy to be here," Riou told organisers.

"The 24 hours he's been through were maybe not the toughest in his life at sea, but certainly not the most comfortable. We're both happy he's here. It was not obvious he would be, a few hours ago.

"I approached him three times and failed so the fourth, I decided to get nearer still. When you see your mate getting deeper into the water at every wave, you can't help telling yourself that maybe the next wave could be the last one."

Photos issued by the Navy pictured the white and red upturned hull of Le Cam's yacht, its sail fading into the icy depths below.

Le Cam's boat was located around 200 miles west of Cape Horn, where the weather conditions had been difficult for hours with a rough sea and gusty winds frustrating rescue attempts.