Meningitis outbreak on Geronimo

Watch leader airlifted off

Sunday evening around 2100, the Spanish Coast Guard helicopter airlifted Didier Ragot off Olivier de Kersauson's maxi trimaran Geronimo off Vigo.

After consultation of the doctors ashore, Ragot, watch leader on Geronimo was deemed to be showing all the symptoms of meningitis. De Kersauson took to the decision to evacuate Ragot as quickly as possible.

Geronimo, 100 miles offshore at the time, headed for shore as the Spanish Coastguard helicopter headed out to sea where the afterlift took place at 2100.

Because of the height of Geronimo's mast Ragot could not be evacated directly from the trimaran and so had to be bundled into a liferaft which was towed behind the boat (de Kersauson had slowed it down...)

A rescue diver went into the water to secure Ragot to the lifting tackle from where he was winched into the chopper and whisked away to hospital in Vigo.

Examinations are currently in progress and their results should be known over the course of today. The other crew on board are also been checked for similar symptoms.

Geronimo left Brest on Saturday and was bound for Cadiz where the Cape Gemini and Schneider Electric sponsored maxi is to go on stand by for the Route of Discovery record currently held by Steve Fossett.