Latest Mondial casualty

Round Europe trimaran race sees its first dismasting

At 1800 today Jean-Luc Nelias' 60ft trimaran Belgacom dismasted. Her carbon fibre rotating wingmast broke cleanly in two as the boat was 35 miles from Cadiz bound for the Strait of Gibraltar. At the time she was lying in fourth place 40 miles astern of leader Groupama in the Challenge Mondial Assistance

The dismasting happened without warning and the crew are safe and sound. The support team was already in Gibraltar where the Belgium sponsored boat was due to make a pitstop to pick up a new genniker (earlier in the race Belgacom broke two genniker halyards and on the second occasion shredded the genniker). The boat is now making for Cadiz where they will rendez-vous with the shore team.

At present little more is known about why the mast broke. The top part fell in the water and the bottom section is still standing. The crew are currently attempting to get the top section of mast on deck or cut away - sorted in such a way that it doesn't damage the boat.

This is the second time Jean-Luc Nelias' trimaran has dismasted. The first was on 6 April last year. One of the Belgacom team told The Daily Sail this evening that the reasons for the first dismasting are still unclear despite undergoing quality checks carried out by her insurers. A new mast was built last year by Espace Composites in the same moulds and significantly also in high modulus carbon fibre. Following the problems in the Route du Rhum, the mast was reinforced over the winter - although still not enough apparently.

The team have a third mast that they were keeping in reserve which has a shorter cord, similar to the mast of Gitana X.

Why are all these trimaran masts breaking? Is it high modulus carbon? Eric Hall thinks not . What's your view? Click here to send us an email via Outlook or here to contact us via a message box.