From the Equator to the Roaring Forties with 2 cracked ribs

On 12 January, when Groupe Bel was crossing the doldrums, Kito de Pavant fell in the boat as they were "stacking" and cracked two ribs. Quiet about his pain, fighting not to hinder the progress of the boat and supported perfectly by his partner Sébastien Audigane, Kito thinks that he will have fully recovered by the end of the week. This bad fall was kept private on board and is nearly a thing of the past. What is good news is that Groupe Bel is at the gate of the Roaring Forties.

Anyone who has already experienced this knows what it is like to have cracked ribs. Coughing, laughing, moving and the slightest movement are a source of suffering. Imagine then how it has been for Kito, who has suffered this pain for nearly two weeks, in the middle of a race on board a boat, which by definition, never ceases to move! Beyond the pain, there is also the frustration of leaving Sébastien take care of the most physical tasks on board, and observing his fatigue. On the other contenders’ boats, there are two sailors sharing the work above deck. Hats off to Kito, as well as Seb, who has given his energy without thought and who, despite himself, has been in “solo” training for the Vendée Globe he has been dreaming of so much! Once again, overcoming this type of difficulty is a demonstration of the trust these two sailors hold in each other, and for us landlubbers, it is a source of admiration.

Kito is feeling better and explains:
It was a Wednesday much like others, or nearly. Groupe Bel was sailing out of the doldrums in 6th position: “It was one evening. We were stacking (moving) the ton of equipment in the boat. It was hot and wet and I slipped in the sail locker. I fell on my back and it was very painful.” Kito then got in touch with Alain Carmand, his “vet” as he calls him; a physiotherapist with whom he has been friends for a long time. It was difficult to make a proper diagnosis from a distance: two ribs were concerned, but were they cracked, broken or simply bruised? The sailor decided to rest to try to recover as quickly as possible. The fairly easy going weather conditions in the South Atlantic made his recovery easier. “I was worried about what would happen next, and Seb did all the maneuvering and stacking alone. Thank goodness he’s a fine strapping lad! He worked like crazy. Standing up is the least painful. I took the helm a little so that Seb could rest. I really watched my step, even though it wasn’t easy, since the position lying down in the bunk was not the best. I am recovering. I am beginning to move normally. I can nearly turn the winches and I think that I will be back to normal at the end of the week. This is convenient, since we will be entering the Great South.”

No question of abandoning!
Despite their misadventure, the two sailors were capable of staying up ahead for four days (2nd from 16 to 19 January). We even received a photo of Kito, last week, at the top of the mast, making sure that he checked the boat before the weather become stronger. Optimistic about what’s to follow and standing by each other as ever, the Groupe Bel duo has not said its last moo!

Message from onboard, last night
"During the night, we passed the reference longitude for the second time since the start of the Barcelona, only this time 8,000 km further south. The next time should be towards end March, but between now then and a lot can happen!

It’s bad news today about Foncia dismasting. Once again, Michel and Francois have shown all their know-how, audacity and determination during their run down the Atlantic. They are lucky in their misfortune to be able to continue and set a course for Cape Town which isn’t too far away. Safe home!
We can’t help thinking whose turn it is next. Blasted mechanical sport!

On board Groupe Bel, we also have a few problems, although less important of course. This morning, the wind had eased off and we decided to send the light spinnaker aloft for the few hours before the arrival of the new SW wind. However the sea was still strong and the maneuver didn’t go well. The result was that the bottom of the spirate got caught in the stem and the sail tore over ten meters.
Sheepish, we brought the sail back in and hoisted the sail we had beforehand. Moreover, it was sufficient, since the wind did not take long to lift again.

As a result, a sewing workshop has been set up in the sail locker. The first job was to dry the damaged section (thanks to the heating on board). There are a few hours of work to do, but it should go well."

Otherwise, the postcard here, for this 26 January, is grey. There is a fairly regular swell, birds are planing and Groupe Bel is surfing westwards.

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