Vendee Globe - Conrad Colman Update - Dismasted but still motivated

by Conrad Colman and Sail-World NZ on 11 Feb 2017 New Zealand sailor Conrad Colman who was dismasted just 790nm from the finish of the Vendee Globe solo round the world race is expecting to spend two days working on the options to try and finish.

The latest update from his Foresight Natural Energy team reports that Colman had spent a very uncomfortable night in big swells with the stricken yacht rolling heavily. Conrad was able this morning to assess the situation. The mainsail and mast have been detached to avoid damaging the boat, the head sails and the boom have been saved but with damage to the latter.

Even though the sea state doesn't allow him right now to work on putting a jury rig in place, Conrad and his team are working hard on solutions to fix the boom and how to best proceed.

The boom has to be repaired before they can think about a way to put it in place to replace the mast. Conrad is starting to gather information and ideas on how to repair it with the material on board. This would be the first step to erect a jury rig.

In 48hours time the winds should be more favourable to allow him to get downwind and so he has two days to work on a solution that would allow him to reach the Portuguese coast or Les Sables d'Olonne if it looks like that is a safe option.

Colman is naturally very disappointed but is starting to get some energy back ' Thanks to all the messages of support arriving from everywhere. I hope to be up to it and to be able to start again towards land without assistance. I'll do everything I can'

Patience and patch-up jobs are the motto for the next two days, says the team.

In the 1981-82 Whitbread Round the World Race, Peter Blake's Ceramco New Zealand broke her mast on Leg 1, and sailed over 3,000nm under a jury rig to finish in Cape Town. However Ceramco was left with a 5metre long section of mast still in the boat which was used to support a longer section of rig.

Colman's misfortune appears to have left him without any remaining mast section above deck, meaning that at best he will somehow have to work alone to raise the boom to set sails - assuming the boom can first be repaired.

Blake also had the advantage of being able to sail around the back of the South Atlantic High, in favourable winds, albeit taking a longer route. In one 24 hour period they were able to exceed over 200nm under jury rig.

The cause of the rig failure is not known, however in the previous week he had several issues with the boat and rig, including a jib which came unfurled in 50-60kt winds, laying the IMOCA60 on her side. He also lost the pin from his forestay and had to lash a temporary forestay in place. Colman had to make three trips up the mast in one day, to fix other rig problems.

At the latest position report, Foresight Natural Energy was 709nm from the finish, still holding 10th place, and was 400nm ahead of the next competitor.