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The capsized French yacht Groupama III is being prepared for shipment back to France after being towed back to Dunedin on Saturday.
The French yacht overturned in heavy seas last Monday, landing its 10 crewmen in the water about 80 nautical miles (145km) off the Otago Coast.
The men, uninjured, were uplifted from the hull of the Groupama by three rescue helicopters and flown to Dunedin.
Once on dry-land the crew's attention turned to the recovery of the $14.8 million yacht.
Nine crew members left Dunedin on board a salvage boat on Tuesday night to begin the rescue mission, while the final member stayed in Dunedin to liaise with the racing team in France.
The overturned yacht was towed back to Dunedin on Friday, but because of commercial shipping traffic could not enter the harbour until Saturday afternoon.
The Groupama was turned right side up in the harbour, with the help of a Port Otago tug, two mobile cranes and several small boats.
The crew of the Groupama III, a futuristic-looking single-masted trimaran, was taking part in the Jules Verne round-the-world yact race.
A technical team has flown from France to investigate the hull breakage that led to the capsize.
- NZPA
