Michel Desjoyeaux and crew of Foncia retire 27 days out of Barcelona after partial dismasting of their Open 60 Foncia 600 miles south of Capetown.
Several years ago Desjoyeaux - in the single-handed Vendee Globe - lost his starter motor (for the diesel engine needed to keep the electrical systems charged). He jury-rigged his boat to start the engine `manually' by wrapping a line around the flywheel and tying it to the boom. When he released the main it spun the wheel and started the engine. But there was no resourcefulness that could put back the top of the mast and allow the two man crew to continue their round-the-world effort.
24 skippers remain in the race, east bound in the roaring 40's of the Indian Ocean. Race tracker HERE
