Sam takes a tumble too

Roxy skipper passes out after a fall down below

After 38 days at sea in the 2008 Vendee Globe, Roxy skipper Sam Davies, now the leading British skipper, suffered a severe bout of nausea after a nasty fall under the cockpit. The last 10 days have been really tough on board. Having to deal with freezing water temperatures, snow squalls and even icebergs, Sam has had little time to rest as Roxy charges through the giant ocean swell.

Sam recounted what happened: “I was stacking all my sails and equipment ready for a gybe, and at the time I was stacking a spinnaker in the back of the boat, under the cockpit. Unfortunately, as I was pulling on it, a sail-tie broke, and I went flying backwards, landing my elbow into a winch transmisson box. It hurt so much that everything went black, and I passed out.”

Sam woke up lying on her back, under Roxy’s cockpit, with an elbow that was throbbing, from shoulder to fingertip. Thankfully, the damage to her elbow is not serious, although the severe pain caused her to vomit. After consulting race doctor Jean-Yves Chauve via Sat Phone, Sam was advised to start a course of strong painkillers and to monitor its progress. The Race Doctor also made it clear that Sam needs to ensure that she is eating enough to fuel her body in the extreme conditions and prevent further blackouts, recommending that she consumes as much as 6,000 calories a day.