French skipper de Pavant rescued in Vendee Globe
French skipper Kito de Pavant was rescued on Tuesday from his sinking yacht Bastide Otio, as countryman Armel Le Cleac'h held the Vendee Globe solo round the world race lead.
De Pavant, 55, had been sailing in tenth position some 120 nautical miles to the north of the Crozet Islands in the southern Indian Ocean when his vessel struck an object and began to take on water.
Rescuers arrived on the scene at 1800 (1700 GMT) Tuesday some nine hours after the skipper raised the alarm after striking an unidentified object which destroyed the keel of his vessel.
Le Cleac'h, skipper of Banque Populaire VIII, was 96.46 nautical miles ahead of Welshman Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss), as they sailed south of Australia towards the Pacific Ocean.
Positions around 1700 GMT:
1. Armel Le Cleac'h (FRA/Banque populaire VIII) at 13,011 nautical miles from the finish
2. Alex Thomson (GBR/Hugo Boss) at 96.46 miles
3. Sebastien Josse (FRA/Edmond de Rothschild) 842.26
4. Paul Meilhat (FRA/SMA) 1213.3
5. Jérémie Beyou (FRA/Maître Coq) 1438.9
6. Yann Elies (FRA/Quéguiner-Leucémie Espoir) 1625.97
7. Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA/StMichel-Virbac) 1810.65
8. Jean Le Cam (FRA/Finistère Mer Vent) 2093.81
9. Thomas Ruyant (FRA/Le Souffle du nord) 2326.01
10. Kito de Pavant (FRA/Bastide Otio) 3069