Three dismasting, one capsize and material breakage… The passage of a violent front has left its mark on the Route du Rhum.
An Imoca monohull, although accustomed to the seas of the deep south in the Vendée Globe (dismasting of Louis Burton’s Bureau Vallée), an Ocean Fifty trimaran (capsizing of Solidaires en Peloton – ARSEP of Thibaut Vauchel-Camus) and two Class40 monohulls affected (dismasting of the Crosscall by Aurélien Ducroz and La Boulangère Bio by Amélie Grassi, one of the seven women in the race), the toll is heavy on the Route du rhum fleet, and those who escaped, and surely other breakages will be announced during the day, are healing their wounds, after the passage of a terrible depression.
About 350 miles northwest of Cape Finisterre, the passage of this front was violent, as Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa), the double winner of the Solitaire du Figaro, told future skipper of an Imoca monohull and title holder: “It was fast but very very violent after the front. The boat was jumping in the waves. It felt like everything was going to explode any moment. It was creepy as hell. Xavier Macaire is the one who attacked the most and I admit that I didn’t try to keep up with his pace, especially after seeing Aurélien Ducroz and Amélie Grassi dismasting just in line with my transom. I really thought we were all going to go through it. I know what it’s like to lose your mast in these kinds of conditions. It’s incredibly hard to undo all the ropes on rough seas and at night too”added the navigator, author of a magnificent comeback to return to the top three alongside Corentin Douguet (Quéguiner – Innoveo) and Xavier Macaire (Groupe SNEF) after having had to let them slip away to complete his 4-hour penalty following a premature start on the line at Saint-Malo.
(more info to come)
