The German owner/skipper of the ARC entry Half and Half, a 10.8m Wauqiez Pretorien, was evacuated from his boat on Friday 24 November after suffering head injuries during an accidental gybe. Ernst Benda, who was knocked unconscious, was taken on board the cruise liner Marco Polo, the difficult transfer being made by RIB and later landed in the Cape Verdes, where he is in hospital until well enough to be flown home.

His crew, which includes two doctors who cared for him before the transfer, are continuing to St Lucia, with nearly 2000 miles to go. For more information on the ARC go to www.worldcruising.com.