PARIS - Vendee Globe leader Alex Thomson's boat was damaged and the Welsh sailor taken by surprise by "an almighty bang" after hitting a submerged object in the South Atlantic on Saturday.
English skipper Alex Thomson sails onboard his "Hugo Boss" sailboat the start of the Vendee Globe around-the-world solo sailing race off the coast of Les Sables-d'Olonne, western France, on November 6, 2016
Thomson was trying to get some sleep after a stormy night's sailing when his Hugo Boss boat collided with a mysterious object on day 13 of the solo round the world race.
"I was averaging 24 knots when I heard an almighty bang and the boat stopped and turned to starboard by about 20 degrees," he recounted.
"I quickly went on deck, eased the main sheet and realised I must have hit something.
"I eased the boat down wind and went to take a look and the starboard foil has been damaged and there are some scrapes on the starboard side of the boat."
He added: "I didn't see anything in the water but it felt like the boat wrapped itself around something and it has caused some pretty significant damage to my foil."
The scare has forced Thomson to ease up until conditions relent so he can carry out a thorough inspection of his boat.
"For now I am going to continue and assess when I get the chance.”
Thomson, third in 2013, has built up a significant 120 nautical mile lead in the three-month odyssey over Armel Le Cleac'h with Sebastien Josse a close up third.
Vendee Globe standings at 1800GMT
1. Alex Thomson (GBR/Hugo Boss) at 19,805.8 nautical miles from the finish
2. Armel Le Cléac'h (FRA/Banque Populaire VIII) at 119.8 miles
3. Sébastien Josse (FRA/Edmond de Rothschild) 125.5
4. Vincent Riou (FRA/PRB) 183.5
5. Morgan Lagravière (FRA/Safran) 222.9
6. Paul Meilhat (FRA/SMA) 298.3
7. Jérémie Beyou (FRA/Maître Coq) 368.9
8. Yann Eliès (FRA/Quéguiner-Leucémie Espoir) 630.7
9. Jean Le Cam (FRA/Finistère Mer Vent) 790.8
10. Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA/StMichel-Virbac) 791.9
Selected
17. Conrad Coleman (USA-AUS/Foresight Natural Energy) 1419.6
18. Kojiro Shiraishi (JPN/Spirit of Yukoh) 1462.85
21. Rich Wilson (USA/Great American IV) 1543.41
26. Enda O'Coineen (IRL/Kilcullen Voyager) 1875.54