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Route du Rhum storm stops Fauconnier
ST MALO, France -- Karine Fauconnier, the only woman sailor in the Route du Rhum multihull fleet, became the latest retirement after her trimaran Sergio Tacchini dismasted on Friday. Fierce weather in the North Atlantic has hammered the single-handed yachts. The greatest damage has been in the 60-foot trimaran class. Only six of the original fleet of 18 were still racing on Friday. Four had capsized, five dismasted and three others retired with structural problems. This phenomenon is not uncommon for the Route du Rhum. In 1986 only half of the fleet finished. The 3,540-mile race started from St Malo, France, at the weekend. The winner is expected in Pointe a Pitre, Guadeloupe, in the Caribbean, on about November 22. One by one the fancied yachts have fallen away. Loick Peyron in Fujifilm set off the distress beacon on Wednesday night, as his dismasted trimaran fell apart. On Thursday Thomas Coville, who had been leading for two days in the trimaran Sodebo, retired with damage to his crossbeams. Alain Gautier on Foncia suffered similar problems and headed to the island of Madeira. "A pyramid-shaped wave came in very quickly and took hold of the boat underneath and that's when I heard a big crack" he said. Frédéric Le Peutrec on Bayer CropScience also retired after hearing of the damage to others. His boat was intact, but as the structure is identical to that of Fujifilm and Sergio Tacchini, the risk of damage was too great. "In light of the current events, there is no point in taking additional human and technical risk," said a statement from his sponsor. Steve Ravussin in TechnoMarine, the old Foncia built in 1997, was in the lead on Friday with Lalou Roucayrol in Banque Populaire second. These were the only two still racing without having stopped or incurred damage. Jean Le Cam in Bonduelle left port on Friday after repairs to his float after a collision with the capsized Groupama. Eric Guillemot in Biscuits La Trinitaine was heading to Punta Delgada on the Azores island of Sao Miguel for a short pitstop to repair sails and Michel Desjoyeaux in Géant was carrying out a pitstop at Madeira. The Open 60 monohull fleet has faired better with 12 of the original fleet of 17 still racing. Two British skippers were battling for the lead with Ellen MacArthur in Kingfisher nine miles ahead of Mike Golding in Ecover. Early leader Roland Jourdain in Sill had stopped on Madeira to repair his mainsail. Conditions were expected to moderate as the boats reached the trade winds.
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