Problems for McKee

Possible dismasting for American Mini Transat leader

Yesterday Jonathan Mc Kee on 247 - Team McLube was sailing faster than all his rivals and had nearly a 100 mile lead on second placed Samuel Manuard on 431 - Tip Top Too-Le Grau du Roi-Port Camargue. At 0300GMT this morning (Saturday) the race management was alerted by McKee’s Inmarsat D+ beacon that there was a problem aboard the American's boat.

In line with race rules as to how the Inmarsat D+ satcoms should be used McKee set off the second green alert half an hour later. Finally at 0400 GMT he set off the last alert.
"Jonathan understood the instructions," explains race director Denis Hugues. "Now we know that he has a problem aboard but that he doesn’t require outside assistance and is handling the problem himself."

McKee’s speed since the first alert has dropped to one knot and he is drifting more than he is progressing. As a result, the race management thinks that he has dismasted and that with daybreak, he is making a jury rig with the help of his boom and bowsprit. All the support vessels have been alerted and remain on the look-out.

The sea is believed to have been choppy at the time in southwesterly winds of 20 to 25 knots.

The latest position reports show that McKee is still in the lead with 50 miles rather than the 80 he had over Manuard yesterday evening.

Both boats are now across the equator and are heading for the Brazilian island group of Fernando de Noronha (see the mark on the chart above) which they must leave to starboard. As the wind chart above shows Sam Manuard to the west may just be able to lay this while McKee should be approaching it on a slightly freer angle.

For a first hand view on what the boats are going through at the moment - read Simon Curwen's take on this last part of the race. Curwen finished second in the Mini Transat two years ago - the race's most highly placed Brit ever.

Positions at 0700GMT

Pos	Sail no	Skipper	Boat	Class	Lat	Long	DTF
1	247	Jonathan McKee	TEAM MC LUBE	proto	S011266	W0305991	845.1
2	431	Samuel Manuard	TIP TOP TOO - LE GRAU DU ROI PORT CAMARGUE	proto	S000428	W0315863	895
3	347	Pierre Rolland	EXTRADO	proto	N002741	W0320480	926.1
4	151	Armel Tripon	MOULIN ROTY	proto	N001701	W0301261	946.5
5	346	Sébastien Roubinet	ADRENALINE	proto	N005715	W0292618	1004
6	240	Alex Pella	AQUATEC - SANTIVERI - TEXKNIT	proto	N012025	W0293880	1018
7	260	Richard Mérigeaux	BON PIED BON OEIL	proto	N020241	W0283033	1089
8	354	Bruno Garcia	SALADINO	proto	N022203	W0283396	1104
9	353	Willy Garcia	CEYLAN DIAMANTES	proto	N022360	W0283223	1106
10	393	Cian McCarthy	THE TOM CREAN	proto	N031704	W0303323	1109
11	440	David Raison	RAYON LIQUIDE	serie	N032001	W0301798	1116
12	312	Pascal Doin	ASNQ	proto	N022863	W0281508	1120
13	303	Enrico Podesta	DIABOLO-SLAM	proto	N024136	W0282981	1123
14	139	François Cuinet	REGLISSE	proto	N030333	W0290396	1126
15	385	Jaume Mumbru	PORT DE BARCELONA	proto	N030343	W0283286	1140
16	167	Manuel Castilla	VISION ORIGINALE	serie	N030993	W0280678	1159
17	330	Jean-Pierre Balmes	CECIM	serie	N033081	W0281688	1172
18	428	David Sineau	FRANCE FERMETURES	serie	N032478	W0275746	1177
19	326	Ian Munslow	ISHTAR	proto	N032823	W0275880	1179
20	318	Yann Riou	THRANE & THRANE	serie	N032468	W0275071	1180
21	138	Eric Defert	AMIRAL DE BRETAGNE	proto	N031458	W0272346	1187
22	421	Michel Mirabel	GWALARN IV	serie	N030205	W0265986	1190
23	426	Erwan Tymen	POGO 2 NAVY LEST	serie	N031336	W0264530	1208
24	258	Marc Gascons	TIP-TOP	proto	N032553	W0265925	1210
25	269	Lionel Rubio de Teran	GROUPE CIBF	serie	N041660	W0282156	1210
26	245	Patrick Bot	FINIST'MER ECOLE NAVALE	serie	N043343	W0284186	1217
27	185	Thomas Valentin	THOMAS HAWK	proto	N035603	W0272710	1219
28	168	Fabrice Guillerm	RAULT LE SERVICE ALIMENTAIRE	serie	N043718	W0284403	1220
29	322	Gilles Guillerm	BLUE BOSSA	serie	N034971	W0271475	1220
30	282	Erwan Abalain	MARION NOEL CONSEILS	serie	N033348	W0264883	1222
31	295	David Sautret	MIKALOU SAILING	serie	N043961	W0282290	1231
32	227	Donald Wright	RUSSE NOIR	proto	N035363	W0270000	1232
33	175	Adam Seamans	SPIRIT OF AMERICA	serie	N035786	W0265528	1238
34	352	Luis Irisarri	DEVIAJE.COM	proto	N033971	W0261711	1246
35	89	Rémy Malburet	SOEUR MARIE THERESE DES BATIGNOLLES	serie	N052598	W0292971	1250
36	209	Bertrand Lecharpentier	NEC HONFLEUR	serie	N042030	W0270726	1250
37	321	Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty	ARTECH - CAEN LA MER	proto	N045361	W0275506	1255
38	316	Pia L'Obry	EXPATRIA.FR	proto	N040791	W0263618	1257
39	36	Peter de Smedt	HUYSMAN	proto	N044215	W0272401	1260
40	345	Cécile Poujol	INFORMATIQUE ET STATISTIQUES	serie	N043145	W0265676	1265
41	340	Rémi Beauvais	SPI CALL CENTER	serie	N052268	W0280643	1277
42	388	Yves Niort	DEMI-CLE SHIPCHANDLER	serie	N044013	W0264840	1277
43	373	Christophe Dary	SAGA MERCEDES BENZ	serie	N052036	W0275970	1277
44	342	Alessandro Zamagna	ARKE	proto	N053423	W0282068	1281
45	250	Brieuc Maisoneuve	PAYS GRANVILLAIS	serie	N040668	W0255268	1283
46	277	François-Jacques Jauffrineau	VENDEE PRISMA	proto	N053950	W0282218	1286
47	262	Eric Schmitt	LA LIMULE	serie	N054853	W0284046	1287
48	329	Laurent Jaunin	TERRE-ET-FAUNE.ORG	serie	N044500	W0263363	1289
49	371	Juan Carlos Sanchis Mari	SPASMOS	serie	N054648	W0282708	1290
50	444	Isabelle Magois	EDEN PARK	proto	N045173	W0264073	1291
51	29	Arthur Barret	UBAYE	proto	N053750	W0275318	1296
52	135	Stéphane Ayrault	WYETH	proto	N053031	W0272376	1302
53	333	Arsène Ledertheil	LA CIGOGNE DE L'OCEAN	proto	N052471	W0270686	1306
54	416	Daniel Schaffer	SENSIL	proto	N045556	W0261146	1310
55	34	Gustavo Pacheco	EPSILON	proto	N052198	W0264053	1317
56	47	Bernard Morin	JOGGING INTERNATIONAL	serie	N060341	W0275336	1319
57	56	James Bird	ATOMIC	proto	N044646	W0253833	1323
58	335	Barnabé Chivot	FTH THIRARD	proto	N053848	W0263171	1335
59	381	Gonzalo Botin	DON VITO	serie	N041733	W0242330	1350
60	360	Henri Gourmelon	TOBABOOTS	serie	N054141	W0252621	1374
61	109	Gaspard Franeau	AVOCATS SANS FRONTIERES	proto	N081241	W0264501	1465
62	355	Jacques Valente	ACTION INNOCENCE	serie	N133790	W0250731	1801
NC	121	David Lancry	MENSURA FROST	proto	-	-