After the mast, the foil.
Author of a very good start to the Vendée Globe, Thomas Rettant was not spared by damage.
Forced to climb up to the masthead to change defective halyards, the skipper of LinkedOut, current 2nd in the standings, had to harness himself again to get on his port foil, whose condition has deteriorated in recent days.
An operation "not simple" but necessary to "keep the integrity of the boat" says the Dunkirk.
Electric saw in hand, he succeeded in his cutting session, carried out in the calm, before attacking the South Seas.
"The risk was that the foil would break and that would create collateral damage"
Thomas Loud
“I just cut my pretty foil.
I cut off the end to take some power out of the appendix so I can keep what's left safe.
The risk was that the foil would break and that would create collateral damage, ”explained Rettant, breathless by the effort produced during his DIY session.
This Friday evening, LinkedOut was 317 miles behind Apivia.
The gap could widen further overnight, Dalin progressing faster (21 knots) in a stronger wind (20 knots) than Rouillard (14 knots of speed and wind).
Further north in the Atlantic, Isabelle Joschke has also spent long hours tinkering with MACSF.
The Franco-German sailor has finished the repairs to the aft balcony of her boat, damaged several days ago by the sudden movement of the sheet of her gennaker after the breakage of a pulley.
“That's it, I have a balcony firmly attached to my boat again, I feel safe aboard MACSF to return to the southern seas, it's really nice.
Yesterday (Thursday) I worked on it for 8 hours straight, most of the day I barely ate.
But when I see the result, I'm glad I did.
It's like new, ”says Joschke, currently 15th in the standings.
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