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| |  Monday, 14 May, 2001, 17:21 GMT 18:21 UK Day 3: Crew plucked to safety La Trinitaine is colour coded purple Six crew members have been winched to safety from the deck of a trimaran which was holed during the Challenge Mondial ocean race. A French naval helicopter made two trips to pluck the crew from the stricken La Trinitaine, one of eight boats competing in a 3,000-mile race from France to Spain via the Azores. The helicopter was despatched by French frigate Surcouf, which has been trailing the fleet, after skipper Marc Guillemot radioed the ship's captain for assistance.
It is not clear whether the other competitors, who include Britain's Ellen MacArthur, are aware of Guillemot's distress. "It was a very difficult decision to make as for now we're not in danger at all," Guillemot told the race organisers. "But I don't know how long it will be safe to stay on board." Guillemot's boat was sixth in the race and sailing at full pelt when disaster struck and the the daggerboard, a giant stabilising fin, was ripped from the starboard outrigger. It is not known whether the accident, which left a six-foot hole in the outrigger, was caused by a freak wave or a floating object.
But at about 15:00 BST he gave up his fight and called for help. "The port outrigger is more and more damaged and I fear further deterioration. "If there was a south-west wind , it wouldn't be a problem as we could sail home on starboard tack. "But for the moment, the east-north-easterly wind is pushing us away from home and I don't know how long we would have to wait for better conditions.
"It is very painful for me to leave my boat. We will try everything to rescue it afterwards." The accident is the fourth to hit the eight-boat field. It leaves only four crews, including Britain's MacArthur, in with a chance of winning the challenging non-stop race, which is now in its third day. Jean Le Cam, skipper of Bonduelle, has pulled out after his main hull was holed by a flailing pulley. Realistic chance And Banque Populaire is returning to Brittany to repair a broken mast, though Lalou Roucayrol may yet decide to head back out and attempt to finish the race. MacArthur, currently lying second in Foncia-Kingfisher, has not been immune to the mid-ocean dramas. Lying first until Sunday night, she surrendered the lead to Bayer after being forced to stop to take down the mainsail and re-attach it to the 100ft tall mast. Her boat, Foncia-Kingfisher, is currently about 40 miles behind Bayer, which is taking a more southerly route. Tailender Gitana IX is trailing 250 miles behind the leaders after suffering a variety of hitches. | |
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