After starting the Vendée Globe this afternoon Sunday November 8 at 1420hrs local time. French skipper Fabrice Amedeo has been forced to make a U-turn and return to the start port of Les Sables d’Olonne because of a problem with the hook (lock) of his headsail which has prevented him from dropping his gennaker.
As he was already 50 nautical miles away from Les Sables d’Olonne Amedeo on Newrest - Art & Fenêtres has to beat upwind back to the start town. His arrival on the outskirts of Sables d'Olonne is expected now to be in the middle of tonight. His stopover is expected to be brief.
There are two options open to Amedeo: to return through the channel to the dock in Port Olona or to take advantage of one of the temporary mooring buoys at the entrance to the port made available to the skippers for such a purpose as having to return to Les Sables d’Olonne to repair.
The Newrest - Art & Fenêtres shore team are ready to solve the problem which is simple but will be costly in terms of time lost against the fleet.
The team must still respect the sanitary bubble which, for a week, has protected the skippers against the risk of transmission of Covid-19.
The sanitary protocol put in place by the Vendée Globe also covers situations like this, an early return to port with a problem.
