IDEC har kappsejsat

Legenden Francis Joyon har tippat sin IDEC under rekordförsöket över Atlanten. James Boyd på Daily Sail har storyn.

At the time I was sailing under triple reefed mainsail and with the small ORC [storm jib]. The violence of the squall was such that the sensor, and the anti-capsize alarm did not have time to go off. The wind continued to build very violently and I felt the boat literally catapulted into the air. Within seconds, I was ‘on the roof’. I found myself under water, beneeath the nets. I tried to guide myself back to open air. It was night and chaos. Eventually, I made it to one of the floats. I’m not sure how I reached the forward beam but I was able to climb up onto the platform. I then got inside the boat through the escape hatch.

“I don’t think IDEC has suffered too much. I have about 10 cm of water down below. I have managed to save the electronics. I was able to retrieve my Iridium phone to report the capsize. I have a very powerful flash light and as the boat has drifted onto a major shipping lane into New York, I spent the last of the night on deck signalling my presence to freighters.