DThree broken masts and a capsize turned the twelfth Route du Rhum into a “Demolition Derby” at the weekend. Three days after the start, Boris Herrmann’s competitor Louis Burton (“Bureau Vallée”) and the two French Class 40 sailors Amélie Grassi and Aurélien Ducroz lost their masts. All three were unharmed in the accidents and are heading for ports.
Thibaut Vauchel-Camus, whose trimaran capsized during the night between Portugal and the Azores, was also uninjured. The sailor was able to save himself on his inverted projectile in the center fuselage and waited for help. Other single-handed sailors had to give up due to technical problems.
Boris Herrmann sleepless
Boris Herrmann struggled on Sunday morning with his new “Malizia – Seaexplorer” to catch up with the top ten in the field of the remaining 35 Imoca yachts. After the first third of the 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 kilometers) long solo race across the Atlantic, the man from Hamburg was in 13th place.
Eleventh was the German-French Isabelle Joschke on “Macsf”. Herrmann had previously reported from See that he was struggling to get enough sleep. Pictures from on board show him doing a minor sail repair.
The premier class of solo sailors was led by top favorite Charlie Dalin on the “Apivia” with around 2,400 nautical miles (4,444 kilometers) to go to the finish off Guadeloupe. At the head of the entire field with boats in six classes, Charles Caudrelier on “Maxi Edmond de Rothschild” and François Gabart on “SVR-Lazartigue” fought a gripping duel with two gigantic trimarans.
