After being dismasted just before midday this morning (UTC+1) Kito de Pavant has no choice but to acknowledge that his Europa Warm’Up race is over. While sailing downwind in fresh breezes and a 2.5m sea, the top of his mast broke off at the level of the staysail tang
He reported later that he had managed to secure the broken section and was motoring some 50 miles to the port of Ponta Delgada on the Azores island of Sao Miguel.
It is an especially cruel blow for De Pavant who had spoken only a couple of hours earlier, to the radio vacation with Race HQ, of how he had been looking forwards to finally making some fast miles downwind after so much upwind work on Leg 1 of the race, from Barcelona to Cascais, and subsequently from Cascais out to the Azores.
He was preparing for a long, hard stint on the helm, seeking to reduce his 46 miles deficit to the race leader. But more importantly, he was looking forwards to learning the valuable lessons which this final racing excursion before the Vendée Globe is designed to offer. And so his almost certain retiral will remove these valued opportunities.
Meantime De Pavant was making decent progress under engine into the wind and swell towards Ponto Delgado. The technical team of Groupe Bel have been in touch with Armando Castro who is the director of the Azores marinas, with a view to contingencies should they be required.
Kito de Pavant (Groupe Bel): "I was sailing under gennaker and one reef in the mainsail in 20-25 knots from the SW. The boat was going fine and was quite comfortable sailing on autopilot. Suddenly, we accelerated and I heard a crack. The mast broke in two immediately, just above the main hounds . So I have no headsail and the mast is only really held by lower shrouds and forestay[...] Now it's a whole new race beginning…..”
From : Europa Warm'Up
He reported later that he had managed to secure the broken section and was motoring some 50 miles to the port of Ponta Delgada on the Azores island of Sao Miguel.
It is an especially cruel blow for De Pavant who had spoken only a couple of hours earlier, to the radio vacation with Race HQ, of how he had been looking forwards to finally making some fast miles downwind after so much upwind work on Leg 1 of the race, from Barcelona to Cascais, and subsequently from Cascais out to the Azores.
He was preparing for a long, hard stint on the helm, seeking to reduce his 46 miles deficit to the race leader. But more importantly, he was looking forwards to learning the valuable lessons which this final racing excursion before the Vendée Globe is designed to offer. And so his almost certain retiral will remove these valued opportunities.
Meantime De Pavant was making decent progress under engine into the wind and swell towards Ponto Delgado. The technical team of Groupe Bel have been in touch with Armando Castro who is the director of the Azores marinas, with a view to contingencies should they be required.
Kito de Pavant (Groupe Bel): "I was sailing under gennaker and one reef in the mainsail in 20-25 knots from the SW. The boat was going fine and was quite comfortable sailing on autopilot. Suddenly, we accelerated and I heard a crack. The mast broke in two immediately, just above the main hounds . So I have no headsail and the mast is only really held by lower shrouds and forestay[...] Now it's a whole new race beginning…..”
From : Europa Warm'Up
