This Sunday at 19:30 (Swiss time), Alan Roura informed his team that his portside foil was badly delaminated. The skipper, who was in 11th place in The Transat CIC, a transatlantic race between Lorient and New York, is fine and has not yet noticed any other structural damage. The possibility of a collision with a floating object has not yet been ruled out, pending a more in-depth analysis once he arrives in New York.
I heard a crack and then a small buffet stop,’ said Alan. I don't know if I hit it or not, but one thing's for sure: it's in pretty bad shape. The outer skins of the appendage have been badly damaged, while the integrity of the hull and foil well of his IMOCA Hublot doesn't seem to have been affected. On the other hand, the boat's drag is considerably increased, which will inevitably have an impact on the monohull's performance towards the end of the race. So it was at a reduced speed that the sailor was forced to continue towards the finish line, some 540 miles ahead of his bow. It was a definite disappointment for Alan, who up until then had sailed a very fine race: ‘I'm disgusted! For once I was in the thick of things!
©Vincent Curutchet
