BritAir dismasts

Crew fine, but a long way from land...

At 12:30 today French skipper Armel le Cléac'h contacted his shore team and sponsor with the sad news that his Open 60 BritAir, competing in the Transat Ecover BtoB race had dismasted. The former Solitaire du Figaro winner did not provide a reason for the incident but reported that he was uninjured in the incident. The dismasting occured just before noon while BritAir was holding fifth position in the race, sailing under one reef and staysail. At the time she had just crossed the latitude of 9°N and was emerging from the Doldrums.

"I was down below when I heard a big CRACK," recounted Le Cléac'h this afternoon. At the time the wind was still light and sea state was slight - not exceptional conditions for the rig to come down. The mast fell over the side and began to bang against the hull. "I had to get rid of it quickly and clean up the chaos on deck," Le Cléac'h continued. "After three quarters of an hour I was able to free it and it sank."

BritAir is the only one of the three new generation Finot-Conq designs to be fitted with a wingmast and twin deck spreader combination. Le Cléac'h says that unfortunately he was also obliged to cut away the deck spreaders from which he might have otherwise have been able to erect a jury rig.

He says he is now heading to the Cape Verdes, under power, while his shore team thinks of a soluation as he says he doesn't have enough fuel to motor 400 miles. "It is a hard blow, very hard, for me, for BritAir and for the team.


t was at 12:30 this Wednesday, December 5 qu'Armel The a contacted his technical team and its sponsor to notify them of démâtage his monohull 60 '. The damage occurred shortly before noon while BRIT AIR, 5th in the Transat BtoB, sailing under 1 reefs and staysail by about 9 ° north latitude. The skipper Breton is well.