Seventeen of the 30 sailors had retired from the race as of late January.
A look at who they are and what went wrong.
Nov. 11
Polynesian Voyaging SocietyKito de
Pavant, Groupe Bel
Dismasted.
Nov. 11
Yannick Bestaven, Aquarelle.com
Dismasted.
Nov. 11
Marc Thiercelin, DCNS
Dismasted.
Nov. 18
Alex Thomson, Hugo Boss
Cracked hull,
port side.
Nov. 26
Jeremie Beyou, Delta Dore
Damaged
starboard side spreaders.
Dec. 7
Unai Basurko, Pakea Bizkaia
Damaged starboard rudder box.
Dec. 13
Dominique Wavre, Temenos II
Shattered keel head prohibits canting.
Dec. 15
Loick Peyron, Gitana Eighty
Mast snapped multiple times in 30 knots of wind.
Dec. 15
Polynesian Voyaging SocietyBernard Stamm, Cheminees
Poujoulat
Went aground in 40- to 45-knot winds.
Dec. 16
Mike Golding, Ecover
Dismasted in a 55-knot squall.
Dec. 16
Polynesian Voyaging SocietyJean-Baptiste Dejeanty, Maisonneuve
Halyards and
autopilot difficulties.
Polynesian Voyaging SocietyDec. 20
Yann Elies, Generali
Broken left thighbone in
rough waters; thrown
against bow pulpit while
prepping a sail.
Dec. 29
Polynesian Voyaging SocietyDerek Hatfield,
Algimouss Spirit of Canada
Knocked down with bare poles;
damage to the spreaders.
Dec. 29
Polynesian Voyaging SocietySebastien Josse, BT
Knocked down at 65 knots in a snow squall in the Roaring 40s;
serious damage.
Jan. 1
Polynesian Voyaging SocietyJean-Pierre Dick,
Paprec-Virbac 2
Lost port rudder after
collision with an
unidentified object.
Jan. 4
Jonny Malbon, Artemis
Delaminated mainsail
Jan. 6
Jean Le Cam,
VM Materiaux
Keel bulb snapped off, boat capsized.
See related story: “Pain, perseverance in the Vendée Globe.”
This article originally appeared in the March 2009 issue.
