Weöres, better known in the racing community as ‘Szabi, is safe on board and uninjured, and the boat itself is reported to be undamaged. NEW EUROPE was positioned about 200 miles offshore of Porto.
Through the night and into this morning Szabi has sailed cautiously to prevent further damage. He was able to secure the mainsail with a reef, leaving the undamaged portion intact. However, the A7 remains tightly wrapped around the forest, and the current wind conditions have prevented Szabi from safely attempting to untangle it. The weather is still rough, with winds at 25-30 knots and waves up to 3.5 meters.
And so he is currently sailing toward an area of lighter winds with the aim of finding conditions suitable to climb the rig to free the A7 during daylight. He says this may be possible tomorrow. As for mainsail repairs, he will need very calm weather or the shelter of an island. His plan is to head toward Madeira to use the island as a windbreak.
Meanwhile, he is assessing the repair process but first needs to examine the extent of the damage.
Szabolcs Weöres (NEW EUROPE) is knocked down, suffers sail damage
Hungarian Vendée Globe skipper Szabolcs Weöres (NEW EUROPE) has reported that last night November 12, at around 22:00 whilst racing in winds of 30-40 knots in unruly seas his boat was knocked down, resulting in significant damage to the mainsail and his small A7 headsail.
Last hours have been difficult for Szabolcs Weöres... | Vendée Globe 2024
The extent of Szabolcs' damage | Vendée Globe 2024
