Currently 23rd in the Vendée Globe, while 14 sailors have already reached Les Sables d'Olonne, Manuel Cousin recounted this Sunday morning the circumstances of his serious keel damage which had occurred the day before.
“I was heading north, facing the trade winds upwind.
I was careful: it was a fairly committed navigation but nothing transcendent for our boats.
And then, when I fell back from a wave, I heard a huge crack, a noise where you immediately tell yourself that something has happened.
The cylinder rod snapped off.
To understand, the jack is used to swing the keel and by breaking the rod has damaged the locking system of the keel.
It came to hit the reinforcements of the system ”.
The skipper of the Groupe Sétin monohull then explained how he had tried to repair in order to succeed in finishing his first Vendée Globe: “I strategized all night to strengthen this system and hope to be able to block the keel in the axis in order to finish absolutely. my Vendée Globe.
We will put the race aside for sure, but the priority is to bring the boat back.
I think I will still stratate all day because there are very strong efforts on it.
I've seen better days but I'm not letting go, I believe in it, I do all I can to fix it.
I have the equipment to repair it on board, I do everything I can.
There is a lot of sadness, I'm not sure how to express it, I'm obviously very disappointed.
I have absolutely not thought of giving up, for now anyway.
But if I can't get the keel back in line, I won't be able to reach Les Sables, but I won't take any risk for the boat and the man either.
"
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