© © Jean-Marie Liot / Alea

Leaving Le Havre yesterday morning, the 40 IMOCA duos quickly got into the thick of things. A low-pressure system was waiting for them off Brittany just a few hours after the start, with headwinds of up to 40 knots and breaking seas. This first test did not leave the fleet unscathed, and several duos were reporting damage this morning.

6.00AM - Mainsail torn for MACSF ( > Lorient)

At the start of the second day of racing, the mainsail of the IMOCA MACSF tore as Isabelle Joschke and Pierre Brasseur were taking in a third reef. The boat was sailing at 16 knots in a 30-35 knot wind, and was in 17th position.
Isabelle and Pierre are currently heading for Lorient La Base, which they should reach by the end of the day. The Voile MACSF technical team is waiting for them there to make the mainsail reliable, so that they can get back into the race as soon as possible.

8.00AM - Water leak on board IMOCA Lazare ( > Lorient)

This morning, Tanguy le Turquais and Félix de Navacelle learned of a major leak at the bow of the IMOCA Lazare.

After installing an evacuation pump and assessing the damage, the duo realized that major repairs were required.

The duo decided to divert to Lorient, where they will meet up with the technical team and carry out further checks. The sailors are doing well and will do their utmost to get back into the race in this Transat Jacques Vabre.

 

8.44AM - Stand As One RETIRED ( > Roscoff)

Eric Bellion and Martin Le Pape have alerted the race directors to the fact that a strut has come loose at the front of the boat. The two skippers are fine, do not require assistance and are taking their injured monohull to the nearest port to investigate this structural problem, which represents a risk for the boat.

The STAND AS ONE duo can't continue the race with any peace of mind, and are forced to retire. Eric and Martin are now heading for Roscoff, where they should arrive in the late afternoon.

9.00AM - Technical stopover for IMOCA Oliver Heer Ocean Racing ( > Brest or Camaret)

The Swiss duo of Ollie Heer and Nils Palmieri noticed that the port D1 side of their standing rigging had detached from their mast. The boat, Oliver Heer Ocean Racing, and the two skippers are fine and are heading for Brest or Camaret to make a technical stopover to try and resolve the problem.

9.00AM - Boom breakage aboard Groupe APICIL ( > Lorient)

While Groupe APICIL was in the leading group in 5th place off the tip of Brittany, Damien Seguin and Laurent Bourgues informed the shore team that the monohull's boom had broken.

The two sailors are not injured. Repairs are impossible at sea, so the duo have decided to make for Lorient at reduced speed. They should arrive around midnight.

No decision has yet been taken on the next stage of the race. The whole team is working on the possibilities.

 

9.16AM - Biotherm's mainsail torn ( > Brest)

As Paul Meilhat and Mariano Lobato approached the Ouessant DST in 15th place, the duo noticed that their mainsail was torn. Biotherm was sailing in difficult conditions with winds of 40 knots.

After investigating the damage, Paul and Mariana decided to head for Brest for repairs. The technical team is on its way to repair the IMOCA sail.

 

10.10AM - Incident aboard Be Water Positive ( > Gosport)

The skippers aboard Be Water Positive (Scott Shawyer and Nick Moloney) had to slow down to deal with an incident aboard their IMOCA. The team has announced that it is suspending its race and returning to Gosport (in the Solent, England).