Alan Roura at the Vendée Globe – After the tears of despair at the Cape of Good Hope – Sports

A good three weeks after the start of the Vendée Globe, Alan Roura should leave the Atlantic the next day.

Alan Roura continues to occupy a midfield position in the circumnavigation of the Vendée Globe. The Genevan currently occupies the 17th position, about 2,000 km from French leader Charlie Dalin.

Roura reported problems with the keel hydraulics last Saturday. A broken seal caused the oil to enter his canister. After three hours of repair work, during which tears welled up, the 27-year-old returned to normal with relief. It will shortly circumnavigate the Cape of Good Hope and become the Indian Ocean.

Escoffier’s emergency call

Meanwhile, Frenchman Kevin Escoffier has abandoned his ship after an emergency call. The third at that time sent an emergency signal about 550 nautical miles from Cape Town and informed his team of a water ingress on board.

The Coast Guard then contacted the Frenchman’s closest pursuer, Jean le Cam, who came to Escoffier’s aid. “Jean le Cam has arrived in the area and saw Kevin on his life raft,” the organizers reported. Le Cam was driving the engine and preparing to retrieve Escoffier.

Favorite Thomson has to surrender

Briton Alex Thomson had to give up the ninth edition of the circumnavigation. The favorite had lost the lead 10 days ago due to work on the boat.

Repaired structural damage to the bow. Now there was also a broken rudder. Thomson, third in 2013 and second in the Vendée Globe in 2017, now sails to the port of Cape Town on his own.