Vendée Globe

Roland Jourdain’s Veolia Environnement team have just reported that he believes he hit a sea mammal early yesterday evening while racing some 800 miles off the Argentine coast.

The collision with this mammal led to several cracks which forced Roland Jourdain to continue under reduced sail in order to effect repairs at sea

While he was sleeping in his bunk Jourdain was woken up by a violent shock early yesterday evening. After leaping outside to ease off the sails and get Veolia Environnement back on course after she had borne away off course suddenly, he noticed a patch of red around his boat.

The skipper of Veolia Environnement thought first of all he had lost a sail, before realising that he had hit a cetacean , as he saw the animal swim away.

After inspecting his boat, the keel and bulb do not seem to have been affected, but he found several cracks around the keel box and in the compartment at the foot of the mast bulkhead. Roland Jourdain informed his shore team and the Vendée Globe Race Directors this afternoon at 16h30.

After talks with the Lombard design team and the CDK yard, Jourdain assesed the situation and set about making repairs, which he is currently setting up with the materials he has on board under reduced sail.  The smooth sea and the light winds in the high are offering favourable conditions.

Two months after setting sail from Les Sables d’Olonne, Roland Jourdain is currently in second place and was 178 miles from Michel Desjoyeaux. He will be contacted tomorrow in the radio session at 11h30.

Despite making the repairs Bilou has managed to gain 10 miles on leader Michel Desjoyeaux as Foncia is on a more easterly course while Veolia Environnement is still managing to make in a more northerly direction, 168 miles astern.

Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar) is quickest this evening, making 14.3 knots and 14.5 knots average in the four hours to 1830hrs GMT.

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