Robin sustains damage to Artemis 43 at Solitaire Bompard Le Figaro

by Artemis Offshore Academy on 29 Jun 2016 Arriving in Paimpol after Leg two of the Solitaire Bompard Le Figaro today, the Artemis Offshore Academy shore team got straight to work on Robin Elsey’s Figaro Artemis 43 following a collision between the boat and a rock in the Chanel du Four – a notoriously tidal passage on the north western coast of France.

Checking his position and his charts, Elsey set his alarm for a micro-sleep. Five minutes later he was awoken as his Figaro hit a large rock bow on. Luckily the skipper was unharmed.

Damaging the bow and keel bulb upon impact and then the starboard rudder as the skipper unpinned his Figaro from the rock, Elsey assessed the damage and reported the incident to the Race Director.

With no serious structural damage to his Figaro, Elsey continued the race to finish 26th. Speaking on the dock after the race today, he reported:

“We were sailing through the Chanel du Four and I decided to get some sleep. I looked at the chart, zoomed in and saw a name and a tiny dot, but I didn’t register what it was.

I went to sleep and next thing I woke up at the boat making contact with a rock. It was pitch black, the rock was unlit and the only one around for about two miles. I hadn’t seen anyone else’s course deflect around it and I just didn’t register it on the chart.

The bow of the boat pinned on to the rock, and the impact damaged the bow and the keel bulb. I managed to get off the rock, but further damaged my starboard rudder. I contacted the Race Director straight away and set about checking that the boat was structurally sound.

The first I knew of the rock was when I hit it. I wasn’t panicked, in those sorts of situations you have to just deal with it and make sure you are safe. Luckily the boat was able to continue in the race, and I only lost a little boat speed.

Since arriving in Paimpol the Academy shore team have been amazing. The boat was up on the hard within 30 minutes and they are now working to assess and fix the damage ready for me to start Leg three. This is the aim.”

Work is now ongoing in Brittany to prepare Artemis 43 for Leg three of the race starting Saturday.