British yachtsman Mike Golding turned back 80 miles in the Five Oceans solo round-the-world race to rescue rival and compatriot Alex Thomson on Friday.

Thomson, 32, was adrift on a life-raft for two hours in high seas, 1,000 miles off the Cape of Good Hope after the keel broke on his yacht, Hugo Boss.

Golding, one of the favourites to win the event, told race organisers: "We decided not to carry out the transfer until this morning until the sun was well up. We converged again and had a very tricky pick-up. Very scary."

It took four attempts to get Thomson on board Golding's yacht, Ecover. Golding was lying second when he turned back, while Thomson had been in third. Golding, 46, said: "Even with the bright orange canopy on the life-raft, you did not have to go far away before you started losing [visual] contact with him."

Thomson said: "Without doubt it was the most terrifying and emotional experience of my life. This yacht has been my life for three years. It was very distressing to look back and see Hugo Boss in such a sorry state. I am hugely grateful to Mike for turning back to rescue me."

Thomson will now spend two weeks on board Ecover as a guest and will not be allowed to help Golding as he sails the rest of the race's first leg to Fremantle, Australia.

The race organisers said: "The rules of the race say that a skipper cannot seek outside assistance, so even when Golding is grappling with the worst that the Southern Ocean can throw at him, Thomson will not be able to come to his rescuer's aid."

Thomson said he would not help Golding in any way and had a hand injury to consider. He said: "Mike has dressed my hand, and I'm not able to get it wet and to be honest I quite look forward to being a guest on the boat."

The race started a month ago from Bilbao in Spain. Six boats remain, including one containing Briton Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail round the world solo non-stop in 1969. Golding is asking the race committee that time lost over the rescue should be restored.