Guadeloupe: 2 die in accident at finish of Route du Rhum sailing race
On Wednesday, just as the winner of the Route du Rhum solo trans-Atlantic sailing race was crossing the finish line, a motorboat following the race capsized off the coast of Guadeloupe, killing two people, according to race organisers.
The precise causes of the accident are currently being determined. According to Guadeloupe 1ere, the boat was carrying eleven people in the bay of Pointe-a-Pitre when the accident occurred. Rescuers arrived quickly, but two people were already in cardiac arrest.
Two members of OC Sport Pen Duick, one of the race’s organisers, were present. In a statement, the company and regional authorities expressed their “deepest and most sincere condolences” to the families of the victims.
Charles Caudrelier won the race in record time, arriving on Wednesday after 6 days, 19 hours, 47 minutes, and 25 seconds at sea. Last week, the 3,542-nautical-mile race began in the French port city of Saint-Malo.
The event occurs every four years. Francis Joyon, a veteran French skipper, won the final race of 2018 in 7 days, 14 hours, and 21 minutes.
Lee Yan LaSur
Lee Yan is a journalist based in Cebu, Philippines. For the past 10 years, he has worked in the media and writes part-time for the St. Vincent Times.
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