Delta Dore out

Jeremie Beyou announces retirement from the Vendee Globe

Jeremie Beyou, skipper of Delta Dore has informed the Vendee Globe race organisers that he is retiring from the solo non-stop round the world race, deeming it impossible to repair his yacht's broken spreaders without outside assistance. Outside assistance is obviously prohibited in the Vendee Globe.

While the Farr-designed Delta Dore was originally fitted with a unique rotating mast arrangement - the mast rigged conventionally but with three sets of hinged spreaders - following her dismasting in the Barcelona World Race she was conventionally rigged.

On day 14 of the race the former Solitaire du Figaro winner discovered the second spreader hanging from the rigging on the starboard side. A trip up the mast revealed that the tang holding the spreader to the mast had broken and that it was about to break on the third. The tangs are made from machined titanium and there waas no chance of fixing them.

The spreaders were also damaged as was the PBO standing rigging on the starboard side due to repeated impacts from the broken spreaders. The starboard runner has also suffered.

At present the boat cannot sail on starboard tack.

Annoyingly for anyone who suffers a breakdown in the Vendee Globe, comparisons are always made with Yves Parlier who fixed his broken mast and incredibly managed to restep it, singlehanded without outside assistance in the 2000 race. Beyou points out that neither the titanium tangs nor the standing rigging can be repaired on board. Plus Delta Dore is 12 years newer than the boat Parlier was sailing and the load tolerances are much finer today.

"My disappointment is immense, and I imagine yours is, too," wrote Beyou in an email to his sponsor. "The accumulation of disillusionment in this project is heavy to wear."

He continues: "We will have to learn to live outside the race but continue to support my friends in the race and then rebound to other races in our IMOCA 60."