Paris (AFP)
The Franco-German sailor Isabelle Joschke, who occupied the 11th position in the Vendée Globe, noted a new damage to the keel of her boat (MACSF) which forced her to retire, the organizers announced on Saturday.
Saturday afternoon on the IMOCA MACSF, Isabelle Joschke, first woman in the ranking and who sails in the South Atlantic, noted "the breakage of the false keel cylinder installed on January 3 following the loss of the hydraulic cylinder rod, "the organization said in a statement.
The Franco-German, 11th in the standings, 776 nautical miles (1438 km) from leader Yannick Bestaven, was sailing "in difficult conditions near the center of the low coming from Argentina, in 30 to 35 knots of wind and in heavy seas. strong and brittle ".
The keel of the monohull "remains attached to the boat but the loss of the cylinder causes a slight leak on board", explained her team, specifying that the sailor is "currently in safety".
The young woman has lowered her mainsail and is moving under storm alone to stabilize the boat.
"It is obvious that Isabelle can no longer continue this Vendée Globe and will have to give up. We are in permanent contact and are studying the different options with her for the next few days", explained Alain Gautier, MACSF team manager, quoted in the communicated.
"Our priority remains, of course, the safety of Isabelle and the whole team is mobilized so that she can reach a port as quickly as possible, with the help of the race organization", added Eric Mollard, the communications director of the MACSF group.
Of the 33 entered in the Vendée Globe, Isabelle Joschke is the 7th to retire.
© 2021 AFP