Pakea Bizkaia abandons Vendee Globe


4:37 PM Sun 7 Dec 2008 GMT
'Unai Basurko' onEdition &copy
Unai Basurko on Pakea Bizkaia has officially confirmed that he had to abandon the Vendee Globe race this Sunday 7 December at 13H34 (French time) - 12:34 GMT.

After four days of big winds ans big seas, this morning Unai has been able to check the boat properly. The starboard rudder box (cassette) is out of his natural place because the carbon pieces that join the rudderbox to the transom are broken.

Unai does not want to go further south in this conditions because it is dangerous for the boat and for him. The option to repair is not possible because he will need to take out of the water the boat to do it properly.

So Pakea Bizkaia is now trying to cross Santa Helena High and take the SE winds directly to Ecuador (just with one rudder).

24 of the 30 skippers that started the Vendee Globe on Sunday 9 November are still racing.




by


Newsfeed supplied by

Live Weather
Nearby
Ballarat, VIC
11 kn WNW
16°
Sheoaks, VIC
11 kn NW
17°
Windiest in Australia
Mount Wellington, TAS
40 kn NW
8°
Most Windless in Australia
North Walpole, WA
Calm
16°
Hottest in Australia
Century Mine, QLD
7 kn S
36°
Coldest in Australia
Mount Buller, VIC
30 kn N
5°
Wettest in Australia
Cape Naturaliste, WA
33.0 mm