Catamaran sailors rescued by Dugong Ace at Sunshine Coast wharf

Three adventurers whose catamaran was ripped apart by up to 20 sharks off the Queensland coast have spoken of their ordeal after coming ashore on the Sunshine Coast.

Three foreign sailors hope to be back sailing again soon after surviving a terrifying shark attack involving up to 20 sharks that ripped apart their catamaran.

The three sailors were brought to shore at Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast after their epic rescue off the Queensland coast.

Two Russians, Evgeny Kovakevskiy and Stanislav Berezkin, and French national Vincent Thomas Garate Etienne were sailing on a 9m inflatable catamaran from Vanuatu to Cairns when they sent out a radio distress beacon at 1.30am Wednesday after large sections of the vessel were removed in the shark frenzy.

The trio was rescued by Panama-flagged vehicle carrier Dugong Ace, which diverted course to rescue the sailors about 835km southeast of Cairns.

The sailors were transferred by Sunshine Coast Water Police on Thursday morning from the Dugong Ace to Mooloolaba, where they were met by Australian Border Force officers.

Adventurers Stanislav Berezkin, Evgeny Kovakevskiy and Vincent Etienne return to dry land at Mooloolaba after being rescued from their expedition when their inflatable boat was attacked by sharks 800km off the coast of Cairns. Picture: Lachie Millard

In an interview with journalists gathered at Mooloolaba, 66-year-old Mr Kovakevskiy, the head of the Russian Ocean Way expedition, said they believed up to 20 cookiecutter sharks had attacked the boat before it started to deflate.

He said the problems began when the sharks began to attack a “balloon” on the left side of the boat, destroying it within about four hours, before starting to attack the balloon on the right side.

Vincent Beaujeu, Evgeny Kovakevskiy and Stanislav Beryozkin. Picture Supplied

“We tried to sink like Titantic,” Mr Kovakevskiy said.

“It’s not die, not death, but it’s big trouble.”

He said he was unafraid to sail again.

“We are adventurers, it is our destination, I am Terminator,” Mr Kovakevskiy said.

The inflatable catamaran in the Coral Sea, some 800 kilometres southeast of Cairns, taking on water. Picture: Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA)/AFP

Responding to a question about if the crew was “mad”, the sailor said when you leave “real life” it looked unusual.

“We are absolutely normal,” Mr Kovalevsky said.

He said when they waited for the rescue, they collected documents, pumped water out of the boat and prayed.

Adventurer Evgeny Kovakevskiy talks to media at Mooloolaba after being rescued from his inflatable boat that was attacked by sharks 800km off the coast of Cairns. Picture: Lachie Millard

The three men said it was their first time on Australian soil and they hoped to be back sailing in a few months to complete the expedition.

“We will try and continue and find another boat,” Mr Kovakevskiy said.

He said the crew was on the hunt for sponsors after losing equipment including solar panels and generators.

Adventurers Evgeny Kovakevskiy, Stanislav Berezkin and Vincent Etienne return to dry land at Mooloolaba with their belongings after a daring rescue operation. Picture: Lachie Millard

The sailor said it was the first time anyone had tried to sail around the world in an inflatable raft.

“Now we are a bit in the shock and the depression because we don’t know what to do next,” Mr Kovakevskiy said.

“Many thanks to whole crew, captain and Russian community.”

Earlier, images captured by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority show the catamaran taking on water before the daring rescue by the car carrier began.

AMSA Response Centre duty manager Joe Zeller said it was “extraordinarily lucky” the Dugong Ace was so close.

“The ocean is just so vast,” he said on Wednesday.

“It is very rare to have a vessel of opportunity so close during the time of distress, particularly in the open ocean like that.”