[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 63 (Monday, May 7, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E712]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING MAURICE AND SOPHIE CONTI

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 7, 2012

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the bravery and 
selflessness of Maurice and Sophie Conti of Muir Beach, California. On 
October 13, 2008, the Contis, along with their young children Massimo 
and Annabelle, led the rescue of three sailors stranded by the sinking 
of their yacht some 60 miles from Fiji. The Contis have been recognized 
internationally for putting their own lives at risk in the service of 
others, and their example is a true credit to the sailing community and 
the people of Marin County.
  On the night of October 12, 2008, the Australian and New Zealand crew 
of the Timella issued a distress call after running aground on the 
Takau Lakaleka reef in Fijian waters. After contacting the Australian 
and New Zealand High Commissions, the Contis quickly realized that no 
other vessel was in a position to assist the Timella. In the darkness, 
they set out on the two-and-a-half hour voyage to meet the stranded 
sailors, whose ship and life raft had both already sunk by the time of 
their arrival.
  While Sophie Conti handled the Contis' catamaran in swells measuring 
10 to 15 feet, Maurice Conti carefully navigated the reef to reach the 
crew of the Timella by dinghy. Coordinating with rescue teams based in 
New Zealand, the Contis then brought the stranded sailors safely to 
Fiji.
  The Contis were awarded the International Maritime Organization Award 
for Exceptional Bravery at Sea in 2009, and Cruising Club of America 
has awarded them the 2009 Rod Stephens Trophy for Outstanding 
Seamanship. This month, Maurice and Sophie Conti are also receiving New 
Zealand Bravery Medals from the government of New Zealand.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in thanking the Conti family for 
their courage. They represent the best of the maritime tradition, and 
they are exemplary ambassadors for the civic-minded spirit of our 
community.

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