Damage affected three of the five classes over the first night of La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe after strong winds struck.
Credit : A Courcoux [Pics]
Thomas Coville (Ultime) was hit by a cargo ship, Loïc Fequet (Multi50) damaged a float and from Class40 François Angoulevant and Marc Lepesqueux both lost their keels. All the skippers are reported to be uninjured. In the strong winds and big seas Loick Peyron made good his escape on the giant Banque Populaire VII, making the break at Ushant.
Winds buffeted to more than 30kts, kicking up rough seas off the Brittany coast for the solo skippers on their first night at sea on the 3524 miles passage to Guadeloupe. The first incident was in Class 40 when Jean Galfione (Serenis Consulting) hit an unlit buoy off Bréhat around 2000hrs He is en route to Saint-Quay Portrieux with hull damage.
Then, with the passage of a very active front and gusting to over 35 knots and increasingly chaotic seas, at 2300hrs Loïc Fequet (Maitre Jacques) reported that one of the floats had broken off his Multi 50. He was taken towards Aber Wrac 'h by lifeboat.
As he passed close to the Ushant shipping lane Thomas Coville (Sodeb'O Ultime) hit a cargo ship around 2330hrs. The starboard float was damaged and the skipper was reaching steadily towards Roscoff where he should reach by midday.
After the distress beacons were activated around 2330hrs rescuers had to intervene to airlift François Angoulvant off his Class 40 Team Sabrosa SR40 MK2 which had lost its keel. He was taken off his boat by helicopter around 0200hrs to Brest where he was safe and sound this early morning. But a few hours later Marc Lepesqueux (Sensation Class40) also reported that he was in trouble after losing the keel his boat, the same time as Angoulvant. The Norman solo skipper was able to fill his ballast tanks, drop his sails and was heading for Guernsey under engine.
Big winds
Leading the entire fleet this morning by nearly 25 miles is Loick Peyron (Maxi Solo Banque Populaire VII). He made the break by sailing closer to Ushant in rough seas and as the wind went west, ahead of the two Multi70s of Sébastien Josse (Edmond de Rothschild) and Yann Elies (Paprec Recycling). Among Multi50s Yves Le Blévec (Actual) who paced the Ultimes early on, leads passing inside the TSS at Ushant while his rivals head offshore into the middle of the Channel.
In the IMOCA Open 60 François Gabart (MACIF) leads Vincent Riou (PRB) and Marc Guillemot (Safran) who had all tacked around 0130hrs. For Class 40 the obkective is passing to the north of the Ushant TSS from the North to get to the wind shift behind the wet and windy front. Sébastien Rogues (GDF SUEZ) still holds the lead with Spain's Alex Pella (Tales 2) is in third at +3.6 miles. Miranda Merron (Campagne de France) is 11th and Conrad Humphreys (CAT Phones) in 18th.
Several competitors have announced their intention to stop because of damage. In the Rhum Class Bob Escoffier (Linedit'h) and Benjamin Hardouin (Krit'R V) are going to Roscoff while in Class40, Bertrand Delesne (Teamwork40) is in Perros Guirec and the Italian Giancarlo Pedote (Fantastica) has turned around.
They said
Loïc Fequet – Maitre Jacques (Multi50)
"When we were in big waves, the starboard float broke in front of the crossbeam. I do not know how. There was 28-29 knots so I did not go out to examine it but I can see that it is damaged the same as last year. I could not tack. I tried helping with the engine but could not because of the shape at the front. I called the lifeboat and am currently under tow and should be in Aberwrac'h between 0500hrs and 0700hrs.”
Lalou Roucayrol - Arkema Aquitaine (Multi50)
"Initially I went middle of the Channel that was the objective. We have very strong conditions. The wind begins to shift a little and the seas are terrible. Now there is a little less wind but I had peaks at 40 knots. There are big gusts in these squalls. It is difficult. "
Sébastien Rogues - GDF SUEZ (Class40)
"The wind is in the west, the front has been through. There is not so much wind. I am upwind on starboard but it is very unstable. It shifts around all the time and is unstable but there is not so much wind right now. It is colder and I am tired as we are still getting up to 40kts but it is a great start to my Route du Rhum . I am the leader and so I can't rest.”
Vincent Riou - PRB (IMOCA)
"I am upwind on port in the west of the Ushant TSS. The sea is rather rough. We make long tack on the Bay of Biscay. The sea is treacherous. We feel the swell of Northwest. We have headseas and it shakes the boats. "
From Rivacom
