Josse informed his shore team late this morning that he had sailed over a high wave and then drifted into the next wave trough at full speed and was brutally stopped. The port foil of his "Edmond de Rothschild" was badly damaged in the process. Josse was sailing on starboard bow in 30 to 35 knots of wind, the port foil seems to have been knocked out of its lock by the impact and severely damaged the stop in the centreboard box and the profile itself. According to the team, it is feared that the foil will be torn out of the centreboard box and damage it, with the risk of damaging the structure of the entire hull. Josse was below deck at the time and was not injured.
The team then decided that the skipper should change his course to the north-east towards Australia and sail slowly, as he would probably not be able to catch up with the foil. But now, coming from the west, he was hit by the full force of the storm depression that the Frenchman had been sailing in front of since the weekend. It brings winds of around 50 knots (10 Beaufort) and huge swell over ten metres high. He has now turned eastwards in order to escape the front as far as possible and attempt an emergency repair. His Open 60 is currently sailing through the Indian Ocean at just six knots.
How the boat last passed the Kerguelen at 20+
Update: A short time later, the race organisers received the news that the Frenchman Romain Attanasio had rammed an unidentified object with his "Famille Mary Etamine du Lays" and damaged both rudder blades. He turned north towards Cape Town and will first investigate whether it might be possible to repair the boat with on-board equipment.
Andreas Fritsch
Editor Travel
