Vendée Globe: "Safran" loses its keel

"I heard a loud bang twice, then the boat fell over on its side in a flash. Luckily I was on the sheets anyway, so I was able to cast off quickly and 'Safran' remained reasonably stable," said the Frenchman. As the Open 60 had full ballast tanks, it did not capsize and returned to Les Sables under its own power. After divers had examined the boat, it was clear what the skipper already knew: the keel had torn off about 30 centimetres below the hull. A bitter moment for Guillemot, who had started so well, led the field and was considered one of the top favourites. It is not yet clear whether "Safran" collided with flotsam, but the skipper reported no sudden braking of the boat. It could therefore also be a case of material failure. "Safran" is the only Open 60 in the field with a keel fin made of pure titanium. Guillemot promised full clarification of the causes after an investigation of the breakage.

In the meantime, however, the unfortunate cancellation has already been forgotten as the race enters its first tactically exciting phase. Off the north coast of Portugal, an area of light wind is blowing in from the north, which could split the field. While a leading group of four or five yachts is still sailing in good conditions with almost 20 knots of wind, the boats further back will be caught up by the weaker wind over the course of the day and will slow down. The leaders "Macif" (François Gabart), "PRB" (Vincent Riou) and "Banque Populaire" (Armel Le Cléac'h), who set a strong pace from the start and were already considered to be the fastest boats in the run-up to the race, have sailed the decisive 20 or 30 miles ahead on the upwind course through the Bay of Biscay, which could make the difference for a first solid lead.

At the moment it looks as if the Swiss Bernard Stamm ("Cheminées Poujoulat") and Jean-Pierre Dick ("Paprec-Virbac 3") could still make the possible cut before the next weather system, while the Brit Alex Thomson in 6th place is already around 60 miles behind. The first video images of the start and the failure of "Safran" as well as the return for short repairs of Bernhard de Broc and his "Votre Nom Autour du Monde avec EDM Projets" are now available (see below)