Vendée Globe – two more in trouble

Dominic Wavre’s keel is flapping around, after the part the rams push on shattered yesterday. He filled the ballast tanks and set the bare minimum of sail before heading for Kerguelen, where he is now entering the Bay of Morbihan, but expects  to take most of the day to reach shelter, since he has to beat to windward for the last few miles. He will stay there until he has found a way to fix the keel, and will then head for Australia when the weather forecast looks reasonable.

Meanwhile the other Swiss Skipper, Bernard Stamm, reports a severe rudder damage. The rudder stock bearings are crushed and broken and the lower gudgeon attachment is not well fixed in place. He can see no way of repairing the rudder, so he is carrying on under reduced sail while he considers what to do next.

So now barely two thirds of the original fleet is likely to make it to Cape Horn.

Meanwhile, the wind is dropping and the leading bunch is compressing – Mike Golding has gained 10 miles on Jean-Pierre Dick, who is heading slightly north to cover Michel Desjoyeaux, and Roland Jourdain has gained 8 miles.

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