The butcher’s bill is mounting.
- Yannick Bestaven (Aquarelle.com) called in at 18:26 to say he has been dismasted. He is unhurt, and trying to recover the rig.
- Derek Hatfield (Algimousse Spirit of Canada) passed a message via his wife Patianne that he is returning. He is the third competitor to suffer electrical problems. So far no details.
- Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty (Maisonneuve) is returning with a storm-damaged deck panel.
With Dominique Wavre, Bernard Stamm and Michel Desjoyeaux that brings the total number of competitors obliged to return to six so far. Under race rules, boats can only land and receive outside assistance at Les Sables d’Olonne, and they must put to sea and cross the start line for the last time by 13:02 on Wednesday 19th November.
Thanks to the AIS tracker on Chemninées Poujoulat’s onboard computer, the vessel she hit has been identified as a Maltese cargo ship, not a trawler. The colour of the paint left on the Ocean 60′s topsides corroborates this…
Southern Biscay and Cape Finisterre will have winds gusting to more than 50 knots as an Atlantic depression comes through. Boats are sailing fully-reefed with ORC storm jibs. It’s going to be a rough night. Good luck all!
STOP PRESS: A short while after I published this post, news came in that Kito de Pavant (Groupe Bel) has broken his mast, his boom and one of his carbon fibre deck spreaders. He is attempting to return to Les Sables d’Olonne, 260 nautical miles away.
A cheerful message from Arnaud Boissières (Akena Verandas) reports “…huge waves, the visibility is reduced and there are cargo ships all around”. Once again, the Bay of Biscay is demonstrating that, in its own way, it can be every bit as dangerous as the Southern Ocean.
