No, this isn't a post about boat breakers and second hand parts, but a post about the broken boats of this season's Vendee Globe race.
We've had a dismasting, then Jeremie Beyou damaged his ruder and had to sail Charal back to France for repairs and restart the race, we had a mainsail tear, then we had Alex Thomson's structural failures in his bow, then he also broke a rudder and has effectively retired from the race.
But all of those pale into insignificance when you hear the tale of the past 24 hours and the sinking and rescue of Kevin Escoffier by Jean Le Cam.
First the sinking: Yesterday morning Kevin was able to get a short message out to his team that he was taking on water and sinking. Immediately after his EPIRB was activated.
The authorities in charge instantly redirected the nearest Vendee competitor: Jean Le Cam to Kevin's predicted position. Luckily Jean was able to get Kevin about his boat last night.
Then this morning we heard the horror story of the sinking of Kevin's boat PRB.
Apparently the boat snapped in half. Kevin was on deck attending to the sails when the boat rode down one wave into another at 27 knots. He heard a crack and instantly the bow of the boat raised up at 90 degrees to the back end.
Kevin went below and already what was left of the boat was full of water. His grab bag was 3 metres under water. He had time to send a message to his team before the electrics were overwhelmed by the inrushing sea water. He donned his survival suit, launched the life raft and climbed aboard. All of this happened within the sickeningly quick time of two minutes.
Personally I think Alex Thomson dodged a very serious bullet when he caught his structural failures in the bow. Hugo Boss could have been the first boat to lose a bow if Alex hadn't caught the cracks in his bow early. The question neds to be asked if the other Vendee skippers were asked to check they bow structure after Alex's issues, if they already do regular checks of if it was considered just limited to that boat.
This edition of the Vendee has been unique because of the boat-smashing gales encountered so early on in the race. Usually the boat-breaking happens in the Southern Ocean. One can only think that is a good thing, because as the race continues the boats get stretched out further and rescue becomes more lengthy and remote. At least in the southern Atlantic the boats were in such a position that three Vendee competitors could be diverted for the rescue.
It just so happens that Jean Le Cam was closest, arrived first and was able to successfully find Kevin and recue him.
I'm sure several questions will be asked by the Vendee Globe authorities now on the designs of the new IMOCA boats and their ability to survive a full circumnavigation. It seems that there has been a paring away of the safety margin when it comes to structural rigidity.
Hopefully orders will come out of race control for skippers to check their bow structure on a very regular basis and to immediately back off if any issues are detected. Especially on the newer boats that haven't been round a circumnavigation and haven't been able to put the time in at sea in rough conditions.
Best wishes to Kevin, I'm thankful that he's safe. Also the Legend of that man Le Cam grows. Not only was he sailing a non-foiling boat up with the fastest foilers, but he's been able to recue a fellow competitor as well. Payback of course for his own rescue, but still impressive seamanship all the same.
