L'Oreal dismasts

French solo yachtswoman drops rig 10 days from finish line of solo round the world passage

On Saturday, 10 February, at around 11h00 GMT Maud Fontenoy's L'Oréal broke her mast while on a singlehanded westabout round the world passage, starting and finish in the Indian Ocean island of Reunion.

Fontenoy, a 27 year transoceanic rower turned solo sailor, is safe and sound on board her boat and is currently 900 miles (approximately 1600 km) off the Australian coast. It was possible to speak to her at 16:30 local time. In a state of shock and feeling extremely disappointed, she is waiting for dawn to break to take stock of the damage. The whole L'Oréal team and the navy are at present mobilised to study the possibility of going out to help the salvage teams.

"I was sailing at a speed of 7 knots in the most normal of seas with a 20 to 25 knot wind," recounted Fontenoy. "The mast suddenly fell down and broke in half. It fell right next to me but I had time enough to jump into the cockpit and get into a safe place. Now half of it is in the water and constantly knocks against the hull. It is the middle of the night and I have no light nor any navigation instruments. I am in a state of shock.

It was getting dark when it happened and Fontenoy had very little time to assess he damage and try to cut the mast free to prevent it hitting against the vessel. Thankfully, L'Oréal Paris's hull is made of aluminium and is highly resistant.

Maud Fontenoy got in touch with Jean Luc Van Deen Heede, the boat’s former owner and skipper, to examine among others things the possibility of putting up a jury rig. At the moment, the priority is her safety: “I have the life raft ready with water cans and some food. My thermal suit is also to hand, ready to receive me."

The whole L'Oréal Paris team and the navy are studying the possibility of going
out to help the salvage team but let us not forget that at the moment Maud Fontenoy is
safe inside her boat and that she has not set off her distress beacon. "Every hour I get
news of what is happening on land. No decision has been taken for the time being.”

Weather conditions in the area (at present approximately 30 knot westerly winds) are
going to improve, Richard Silvani of Météo France revealed to us. The wind is progressively going to die down and blow in the required direction, from the south and
towards the east.

After 119 days at sea, Maud Fontenoy is only about 10 days away from Reunion Island
and the line of arrival. Very disappointed, she will nevertheless wait for dawn to break to
analyze the situation and take a decision regarding the development of her adventure
Against the Current.