Yves Parlier is reported to be safe, although with broken ribs, on board a Chilean cargo ship having been rescued after his ‘hydroplane’ catamaran with stepped hulls and twin rigs capsized during a second attempt at the 540 mile 24-hour solo record that has been held by Laurent Bourgnon since June 1994. The ship is en route to Spain.

Parlier left the Canaries for this attempt after the first failed after he broke several sail battens during a crash gybe. He was, at the time, well ahead of the record.

He described what happened. ‘the boat started to accelerate as one hull came out of the water. I had difficulties in easing the mainsail to slow down. When I managed to ease it the boat still continued to capsize and I was thrown across to the opposite hull.’ His shore team are considering the options for salvaging the catamaran.