Groupama capsizes after leaving St. Malo.

While racing from Saint Malo to Guadeloupe, drama struck the trimaran Groupama when it capsized last night at approximately 20.30 CET. The boat is being towed by a Coast Guard vessel to Roscoff, north-west of Brittany, while its skipper, Franck Cammas is on board the boat with one of the rescue divers. Groupama is expected to arrive in Roscoff at 11.00 CET Monday, 11 November.

Bonduelle was following the same course as Groupama when she rammed into the upturned trimaran soon after it capsized. The skipper Jean le Cam was not hurt, but the boat's starboard float sustained damage. Bonduelle reached Camaret at 04.30 this morning to repair the float and to determine if there was structural damage. Le Cam is hoping not to abandon the race but that is yet to be determined depending on the extent of the damage sustained.

Michel Désjoyeaux has repaired his battens and fixed some minor electrical problems on his trimaran Géant. After arriving at Bertheaume in Brittany at 02.10 CET, he made the repairs in a little more than two hours, leaving at 04.30 CET to continue towards Guadeloupe. He is approximately 80 miles behind the leading boats.

French pre race favorite Roland Jordain on Sill is leading the monohull fleet, with Mike Golding on Ecover in second place. Leading Class Two monohulls is Australian Nick Moloney but Yannick Bestaven from the Dominican Republic is working to close the gap.

Loïc Pochet on La Rage de Vivre (IMOCA 60' monohull) hit an unidentified object yesterday afternoon and arrived in the port in Brest early this morning, with damage on his bow. Nicolas Peitrequin (Un Autre Regard pour l'UNHCR) has decided not to start the Route du Rhum 2002 after having problems with his forestay and never making it to the start line on Saturday, 9 November.

Sebastien Josse (VMI), dismasted soon after the start on Saturday 9 November. He is waiting for a new mast to arrive in Saint-Malo. To date, he has not abandoned and is still hoping to complete the Route du Rhum 2002.

Conrad Humphreys, Hellomoto (class 3 monohulls), has repaired his three holes in the hull and will head off on the race course today.

After abondoming the race, Bertrand De Broc on Banque Covefi made landfall in Brest this morning at around 04.30 hours CET. To date, there have been five boats forced to abandon the race : Groupama (ORMA multihull), Un Autre Regard-Ensemble pour l'UNHCR (monohull class 1), Chaleur Fioul Elan (multihull class 2), Banque Covefi (ORMA multihull) and La Rage de Vivre (IMOCA monohul).

Leading boats at 08.00 hours (07.00 GMT) ORMA 60' multihull: Marc Guillemot Biscuits La Trinitaine-Ethypharm IMOCA 60' monohull: Roland Jordain Sill Monohull Class 2, 50': Nick Moloney Ashfield Healthcare Monohull Class 3, 40': Regis Guillemot Storagetek Multihull Class 2, 50': Frank Yves Escofier Crêpes Whaou!

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