This morning (18 December), as he was carrying out manoeuvres on the bow, Yann Eliès fractured his thighbone. While he waits to be taken off his boat – following a request from the race directors – Marc Guillemot has changed course in order to offer him some moral assistance. Safran was only a hundred miles from Generali at the time.

It was at 10:00GMT that Yann Eliès was resting on the pulpit, preparing a sail, when he came to a brutal standstill slamming into a wave. The sailor felt a sudden acute pain. He collapsed on the foredeck and had to crawl back inside his boat to contact his team. According to the initial diagnosis from Dr. Jean-Yves Chauve, the race doctor, Yann is suffering from a broken thighbone.

The monohull Generali, that has hoved to, is currently 800 miles south of Australia in the Indian Ocean. The Australian emergency services were immediately alerted and are looking at ways to get Yann off as quickly as possible.

Sam Davies (Roxy) has also suffered an injury – hitting her elbow against a winch transmission box. She explained this morning:

“I hurt myself last night, during the manoeuvres through the front. Am rather sore today, as a result. I was stacking everything, ready for my gybe, and at the time I was stacking a spinnaker in the aft section, under the cockpit. Unfortunately, as I was pulling on it, a sail-tie broke, and I went flying backwards, landing my elbow into a winch transmission box – a nice solid corner. It hurt SO much that everything went black, and I passed out! I woke up lying on my back, under the cockpit. The elbow was throbbing, from my fingertips to my shoulder. I could move it thankfully, but the pain made me sick.

Because of these reactions, I called Jean-Yves Chauve, the race doctor, and he told me which (nice strong) painkiller to take. The problem was – I had to gybe! I lay down for as long as possible (for the painkiller to work), and summoned my strength. I managed the gybe! Luckily the wind had dropped in the cold front but I had kept small sails, so the manoeuvre was easy.

Since then, Jean-Yves has helped me check the elbow by telephone to confirm that it is just a nasty big bruise, nothing more serious. My elbow is so SORE, but I know it will get better, so there is no worry. He said that the reason for my rather severe reaction to the shock is probably because I’m not eating enough – and I must try harder to balance the energy I use each day with enough nutrition. I need 6000 calories per day out here in the cold south. The annoying thing now is that eating is a movement that really hurts my arm – ironically! So, I will maybe try eating left-handed, although that is a sure way to ensure that I will be mostly “wearing” my dinner rather than consuming it – especially in this sea-state! I can already hear you asking – YES – the winch transmission box is fine I didn’t do it any damage!”