The giant Cap Gemini Ernst & Young and Schneider Electric trimaran was hit and damaged by smaller yacht in the Moulin Blanc harbour in Brest yesterday.

Early in the afternoon, as Geronimo’s crew were busy making their final preparations for the new series of sea trials, a Figaro-type yacht (just over 9m loa) collided with the giant trimaran at full speed. Geronimo was moored on her normal pontoon at the time of the incident. The point of impact was on the aft section of the starboard float, just behind the beam.

It seems that the crew of the Figaro had lost control of the boat when attempting to enter the harbour under sail.

A preliminary examination of the damage will be undertaken today, and although it is still too early to speculate about the extent of the repairs necessary, it seems inevitable that Geronimo will have to be lifted out of the water once again. It is not yet known how long any such shore-based repairs may take.

This new setback is a hard blow for the Geronimo team, who were ready to set off to conduct sea trials on the new rudder system fitted as part of a major eight-week refit.