The de-masted "L'Oréal Paris"
119 days after starting her circumnavigation against the wind, and only ten days before her planned arrival at LRéunion, 29-year-old Maud Fontenoy broke the mast on Saturday night on her aluminum yacht "L'Oréal Paris".
On the way to circling the earth solo from east to west, i.e. against the prevailing winds and currents, the most difficult section of the journey seemed to have been overcome. All capes (Cap der Guten Hope, Cap Hoorn, and Cap Leeuwin) were circled, and the goal was within reach. After hard storms and a moral dip, Maud Fontenoy seemed to be doing better for the last few hours, but then the unbelievable happened.
Maude Fontenoy
Maude Fontenoy on the satellite phone about the mast break: "… with 20 to 25 knots of wind and normal swell, I was just running at seven knots, suddenly the mast broke in two parts and fell towards me. One part is outboard and hits the ship's side. I'm still shocked … I've already cleared my life raft and provided provisions and water. My survival suit is next to me … "Maud was inside the ship and was in regular contact with her shore crew. She did not make an emergency call, wanted to wait: "… I have not yet decided anything …!
The sturdy aluminum hull remained without any significant damage. The one-handed sailor had started the clean-up work at dawn: among other things, the three centimeter thick shrouds had to be cut.
The aluminum yacht "L'Oréal Paris"
With great physical exertion, Maud Fontenoy was able to carry the remains of the rig into the water and cut his hands bloodily on the carbon fibers of the mast. After consultation with the former owner of the 26-meter-long "L'Oréal Paris", Jean Luc van den Heede, who managed the circumnavigation of the world against the wind with this ship under the name "Adrien" in a record time of less than 123 days, Maud Fontenoy wants trust your ship and end the circumnavigation under emergency rigging.
A German container ship is currently nearby so that it can intervene in an emergency. The weather conditions should improve further in the next few days, the winds should enable clear courses. Maud Fontenoy has already made a name for herself as a lonely rower: she paddled the North Atlantic in 2003 and the Pacific in 2005.
Only six people have successfully mastered this route as a single-handed sailor, including the German Wilfried Erdmann (2001 in 343 days):
1970: Chay Blyth (UK): 292 days 1994: Mike Golding (UK): 161 days 2000: Philippe Monnet (F): 151 days 2001: Wilfried Erdmann (D): 343 days 2004: Jean-Luc van den Heede (F): 122 days 2006: Dee Caffari (UK): 178 days