MacArthur Takes Lead/Fujifilm Really Cracks Up/Hellomoto Dismasted

La Donf!

Le carnage continues as the somewhat decimated fleet of ocean greyhounds heads towards Guadeloupe in the Route du Rhum and monohulls took the lead.

This morning, Kingfisher was speeding along at 21 knots in 35 knots of wind leading the fleet. Mike Golding's Ecover broke its daggerboard yesterday and is five miles behind; Golding is repairing.

The two leading boats are widening the gap on the boats behind and have around 350 miles to go to reach the archipelago of the Azores.

The two Brits' closest rival, Roland Jordain on Sill, informed the race committee this morning that he will head to Madeira for a short pit stop to repair or change his torn mainsail. His sail was torn below the third reef by a violent gust yesterday morning. Sill is currently about 400 miles from Madeira.

Conrad Humphreys on Hellomoto alerted the race committee at 01.00 GMT that his 40-footer had dismasted. Humphreys is well and heading to land.

Oh dear, oh dear...

Loick Peyron onboard Fujifilm set off the distress beacon last night as his dismasted trimaran is falling apart. A freighter has approached the boat this morning and Peyron can soon leave his mutilated boat.

Biscuits la Trinitaine and TechnoMarine, positioned more north west, have quickly overtaken Thomas Coville on Sodebo. Marc Guillemot on Biscuits la Trinitaine is now leading the 60' trimaran fleet. Sodebo has slowed down remarkably as Coville is repairing the broken battens in his main sail.

A towboat will reach the overturned Eure et Loir - Lorénove (skipper Francis Joyon) this morning. The overturned Sopra Group has been spotted 35 miles west of Corcubion (north west Spain) and can soon be recovered


Leading boats 07.00 GMT: ORMA 60' multihulls: Marc Guillemot Biscuits la Trinitaine IMOCA 60' monohulls: Ellen MacArthur Kingfisher Class 2 50' monohulls: Nick Moloney Ashfield Healthcare Class 3 40' monohulls: Régis Guillemot Storagetek Class 2 50' multihulls: Frank Yves Escoffier Crepes Whaou!

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