Yvan Bourgnon and Charles Caudrelier have abandoned their attempt at the Transat Jacques Vabre which started yesterday from Le Havre.

According to the organizers the central hull on Brossard has a large crack level with the mast foot along half the structure. The two French skippers therefore have officially abandoned the race and are now making slow progress at 5 knots under reduced sail in a 20 knot south-westerly wind back towards either Northern Brittany, but if favourable, may be a port along the Southern coastline of Britain.

Bourgnon commented: “The crack happened at around 3am this morning: the wind and sea were pretty calm and we had just taken out the first reef and tacked to head towards the Brittany coastline. All of a sudden, I heard a massive cracking sound and saw the hull opening over my head on the deck. The crack has extended along half the main hull now? And is 3 centimetres wide! We’re okay, we’re going to try to reach Cherbourg or somewhere nearer if we have to stop before then.”