Four more boats have pulled out of the ill-fated Route du Rhum transatlantic single-handed sailing race.

Frenchman Thomas Coville, on board Sodebo, is leading the blue riband multihull category, in which eight of the 18 starters had already given up or returned to port.

Mike Golding on board Ecover is ahead in the monohull class fleet, while Britain's Ellen McArthur is third in Kingfisher.

Yet more rough conditions meant the end of the race for Giovanni Soldini, Sebastien Josse, Pascal Quintin and Yvan Bourgnon.

Bourgnon's trimaran Rexona Men capsized in the North Atlantic off the Spanish coast when a strong gust, estimated at more than 80 knots, lifted the boat.

He has decided to stay onboard after contacting his shore crew to let them know he is well and in control of the situation.

Collision

Italy's Soldini abandoned when cracks appeared in one of the hulls of his TIM multihull boat.

In the monohull category, Frenchman Josse gave up with a broken mast, while compatriot Quintin, on a smaller multihull, headed back home with electronic problems.

Six boats were also being repaired in Brittany ports.

The most spectacular accident took place shortly after Sunday's multihull start when Frenchman Jean Le Cam's Bonduelle crashed into Franck Cammas's Groupama, which had capsized.

Compatriot Bertrand De Broc nearly hit them and decided to give up the race.