2006 winner heads for port

Mainsail halyard problems for Lionel Lemonchois' Prince de Bretagne

At 1700 yesterday, the halyard lock for the mainsail failed on board Lionel Lemonchois' leading Multi50 trimaran Prince de Bretagne.

Lemonchois, who won the Route du Rhum in the ORMA 60 class in the 2006 Route du Rhum, hauled himself aloft but in the swell was unable to effect a repair. As a result the mainsail cannot be hoisted and remains on deck.

Believing it to be too dangerous to continue under solent and asymmetric spinnaker alone, Lemonchois is heading for the nearest port which is likely to be in the vicinity of La Coruna on the northwest corner of Spain, 250 miles away. He is not retiring from the race. His shore team meanwhile is attempt to find a repair. It will be only when Prince de Bretagne reaches Spain that it will be determined if a repair can be effected.

Lemonchois' disappoint is immense as through taking a westerly option he had been leading up until the time of the incident.