After colliding with a sea mammal on 7th March during the Barcelona World Race, Kito de Pavant’s monohull Groupe Bel was forced to retire from the event. A race against the clock then began to bring the boat back to her home port in Camargue in order to get her ready for the Europa Race.
On 9th April, one month after Groupe Bel was forced to retire from the round the world race, a Dutch cargo vessel set off from the port of Ushuaia to make her way to Sète, via Brazil. The monohull was unloaded from the cargo ship last week in Sète and then her team took her around under motor to her shore base in Port Camargue. A refit set to last several weeks is now underway to ensure that Groupe Bel can be relaunched in mid-June.
Gwen Gbick, the sports director for the Groupe Bel team: "The keel that was damaged when it hit a sea mammal off Cape Horn, has been dispatched to Milan to be examined and we will then do whatever is necessary. Meanwhile, we have two goals. We have to repair the damage to the daggerboard housing and give Groupe Bel a thorough clean up: A careening to ensure her bottom is smooth to allow her to glide through the water and of course a general check up of everything on the boat, as she has sailed two-thirds of the round the world voyage and spent a month on a cargo ship." In just under a month, it will be time to set off from Port-Camargue to head for Istanbul, in order to line up for the start of the Europa Race.
