The China Mail - Veteran Le Cam leads Vendee Globe as Sorel is first to quit

The 65-year-old, taking part in his sixth Vendee Globe, split off from the flotilla after passing the island of Madeira to take his boat Tout commence en Finistere/Armor-Lux a more easterly course down the coast of Africa.

At 0600 GMT Saturday, Le Cam, who was in 10th place on Friday, was leading by 28.30 nautical miles as his more westerly rivals found themselves caught in a windless zone.

The Italian Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmian), the previous leader of this 10th edition of the race, was running second with Benjamin Ferre (Monnoyeur-Duo for a job) in third, 38.47 miles behind Le Cam.

The race, which takes place every four years, got underway from Les Sables-d'Olonne in western France on Sunday with the 40 skippers embarking on a 24,300 nautical mile course which will take roughly three months to complete.

Not all of them will make it to the finish line and on Friday Maxime Sorel (V and B-Monbana-Mayenne) became the first to retire.

The 38-year-old has been suffering from a severely swollen ankle since the second day, sustained when he was trying to repair his hook and mainsail track problems.

"My ankle has been seriously damaged for four days," he told organisers.

"It has swollen over time because of the manoeuvres I have carried out on board, particularly to try to fix my major mainsail hook issues.

"I am suffering to the point of having difficulty moving on board my boat."

Sorel admitted, however, that: "With or without my pain, it is impossible to change sections of this mainsail track three metres long. It is a boatyard job."

The Hungarian Szabolcs Weores is also in trouble. He is heading for the Canary Islands to carry out repairs to his mainsail.

S.Davis--ThChM