Leader retires

Anne Caseneuve breaks knee mid-Atlantic in Faraday Mill OSTAR

Positions at noon

Pos	Boat Name	Lat	Long	DTF	Rating	Comments
	MONOHULLS
	Open 40 (Pen Duick)
1	ROARING FORTY	51 04N	20 13W	2,163
2	VM MATERIAUX	50 20N	20 11W	2,168
3	DESTINATION CALAIS	50 41N	18 09W	2,244
4	LA PROMESSE	50 49N	18 55W	2,244
5	SPIRIT OF CANADA	50 42N	17 23W	2,283
6	HAYAI	50 52N	16 00W	2,321
7	ROBOSAIL	49 46N	13 39W	2,446
	IRC 1 (Gipsy Moth)
-	ATLANTIX EXPRESS	50 30N	16 45W	2,321	1.311
-	CHIVAS III	50 38N	13 00W	2,435	1.045
-	ECHO ZULU	50 13N	18 06W	2,244	1.109
-	OLYMPIAN CHALLENGER	51 31N	18 22W	2,238	1.152
-	VIJAYA	51 30N	15 00W	2,350	1.056
	IRC 2 (Jester)
-	ADRIENNE MAY	50 06N	13 39W	2,435	0.982
-	DE FRANSCHMAN	50 58N	15 06W	2,359	0.978
-	REALITY	50 55N	11 17W	2,511	0.937
-	SUOMI KUDU	49 47N	11 58W	2,523	0.941
-	TROIS MILLE SABORDS	51 31N	16 31W	2,313	0.998
	IRC 3 (Eira)
-	AMELIE OF DART	51 32N	13 58W	2,425	0.843
-	AYESHA OF ST MAWES	48 42N	10 03W	2,576	0.899
-	CHIMP	51 00N	14 57W	2,388	0.909
-	QUEST II	51 07N	09 32W	2,574	0.932
-	TAMARIND	50 52N	10 50W	2,549	0.892	No Report Received
-	ZEAL	51 01N	14 37W	2,388	0.922
	MULTIHULLS
	Open 50 (Manureva)
1	BRANEC IV	50 27N	21 42W	2,129
	MOCRA 1 (Three Cheers)
	COTONELLA	53 36N	21 35W	2,120	1.653
	HOUD VAN HOUT	51 17N	15 18W	2,350	1.063
	SHOCKWAVE	50 24N	16 29W	2,321	1.478
	SPIRIT	50 06N	22 11W	2,091	1.510
	UP MY SLEEVE	50 49N	09 06W	2,586	1.422	No Report Received
	Retired
	BLUE SHADOW					Retired
	OCTAVUS					Dismasted-Heading for Kinsale
	SEA BERYL					Retired-Heading for Plymouth
	ACANTHE INGENIERIE					Retired-Returning to France
	MOLLYMAWK					Retired at Plymouth

Having taken over the lead of the Faraday Mill OSTAR since yesterday, French yachtswoman Anne Caseneuve on her 50ft trimaran Acanthe Ingénierie has this morning announced her retirement from the race having broken her knee after a bad fall.

At the time the wind was blowing 30-40 knots and large waves were breaking around the boat. It was one particular wave, so large that Caseneuve says she thought it would sink the boat, that broke on deck hurling the Caseneuve into the cockpit.

"My knee broke at 90 degrees and now whenever I try and put weight on it and I suffer excruciating pain. So I can't put weight on it and it feels like it weighs a ton. So to manoeuvre the boat I am having to crawl round and whenever I make a bad movement the pain is terrible. So after thinking about it - if I continued I would not be first and it would be 20 days before I arrived." A full-on 50ft racing trimaran is not easy to handle at the best of times. Without the use of one leg it is close to impossible. Caseneuve is therefore nursing herself and her boat back to France. This is frustrating as at the time of the incident Caseneuve says she was feeling confident and had got into the rhythm of the race.

With Caseneuve retired so the lead of th Faraday Mill OSTAR has been taken by Pierre Antoine on the trimaran Spirit who holds a 37 mile lead over Franco Manzoli on Cotonella. The unknown quantity however remains Roger Langevin on Branec IV, who is taking the 'Joyon' route way to the north and is trying to make use of the reaching conditions sailing into and then out (or possibly round the top) of a depression.

In the monohulls Michel Kleinjans continues to lead but is being caught up by Patrice Carpentier on the new Pogo Open 40, again taking a course further north.

With the onset of a depression to the north so the boats are experiencing their first major blow with Peter Keig on Zeal reporting in a southwesterly force 6-7 and Ronny Nollet on La Promesse 30 knots from the northwest.