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Vendée Globe Down to 16

The normally cheerful Sam Davies was forced to abandon the Vendée Globe when she dismasted.

© Sam Davies / Savéol

More carnage in the Vendée Globe over the past two days. Yesterday, Great Britain’s effervescent Sam Davies reported that Savéol‘s rig came crashing down as she neared the center of the depression. She was below at the time, preparing to put a third reef in the main, and was uninjured. "I could hear the mast rubbing against the hull and down the whole side of the hull and under the boat," she told race officials. "I knew that it could damage the hull if I was unlucky, so the main thing was to close all the watertight bulkheads in case it did get pierced."

You don’t have to speak French to understand the powerful emotions Davies must have been feeling when she made the above video. She was able to cut the rig free after the conditions calmed, and is under power heading for 100-mile distant Madeira.

Shortly after Davies bowed out of the race, Louise Burton, the youngest sailor in the event, also announced his abandonment. Readers will recall that Burton was attempting to make it back to Les Sables d’Olonne in time to repair a broken shroud, damaged when Bureau Vallée collided with a fishing trawler, and restart the race, but conditions wouldn’t allow it. He’s instead diverted to La Coruña, Spain, in an effort to save his mast.

Armel Cléac’h, aka The Jackal, spent yesterday hunting down Francois Gabart.

© Vincent Curutchet / BPCE

Meanwhile, Armel Le Cléac’h on Banque Populaire has taken the lead from Francois Gabard on Macif, putting 20 miles between himself and Gabard, who’d been leading the pack almost from the start. Just four miles behind Macif is Bernard Stamm on Cheminées Poujoulat. Not far behind the three leaders is the ever-cool Alex Thomson on Hugo Boss, who edged passed Maitre CoQ, Riou and Virbac-Paprec 3 to snag fourth. 

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Frequent Changes in Latitudes contributor Wendy Hinman will be signing copies of her book Tightwads on the Loose: A Seven-Year Pacific Odyssey at Book Passage in Corte Madera on Sunday at 6 p.m.