MORE DRAMA ON THE VENDEE GLOBE

Thomas Ruyant, the one that on the last video, of the previous post about the Vendee globe, looked quite relaxed, at the sound of Regae, after having so much troubles with the boat before, was hit again hard by extreme bad luck: He was escaping a huge storm (60 to 70K winds) sailing North with winds well over 40, sometimes gusting over 50k and when he seemed to have the situation all under control----BAM---- the boat hit something at so much speed and so hard that almost broke the boat in half. On his words:

“It was a bit like a car accident. The boat came to a sudden halt. It was an extremely violent shock. I felt extremely down about it yesterday, but I’m finding the motivation to bring my boat safely to port. That is my priority”

He was still on high winds and heavy seas when he collided violently with something, probably a container. He understood quickly that he had a badly damaged boat, not only structurally but making water and almost without steering (one of the rudders broke and the other was damaged). He passed all night heaving too, with the boat almost stopped, trying to reduce to a minimum the boat stress and keeping it on one piece.

After that we went in emergency repair mode, filling holes with resin and trying to fix the remaining rudder while he tries to go slowly to a port on New Zealand coast, saving his boat. But more bad luck is on his way and at the speed he can make, he is going to be hit again by another storm, already near New Zealand South coast and I doubt the boat can resist to that. https://gis.ee/vg/

I am sure NZ rescue service is at full alert and ready to pick him up if his boat breaks in half, while he is attempting that heroic boat rescue attempt. While this is happening nobody cares about the race and all eyes are focused on this drama with everybody wishing the best of luck to him. He really needs it!!!

I bet that when Le Cam, one of the other racers, said some days ago that Thomas was going to cry, referring a storm on his way, he would never imagine how his words would be prophetic. On the end of the last movie he is almost crying. Very sad, he deserved not to have so much bad luck 😞