Louis Burton forced to withdraw from Vendée Globe due to rig damage
by Vendée Globe Media 4 Dec 18:47 PST
5 December 2024
Louis Burton sailing on the IMOCA Bureau Vallée – Vendée Globe 2024 © Benjamin Sellier
Louis Burton on Bureau Vallée – The Transat CIC © Louis Burton / Bureau Vallée
Around midday UTC yesterday, December 4th, Louis Burton notified the Vendée Globe race management and his technical team that he had sustained significant damage to a mechanical component of his IMOCA60’s rigging.
For 10 hours following this notification, the skipper of Bureau Vallée sought a resolution to conduct repairs. However, his attempts were unsuccessful. After thoroughly evaluating the circumstances, despite his tenacity as a skipper who finished third in the 2020-21 race, Burton has had to withdraw from the competition. He is now en route to Cape Town, where he is expected to arrive in approximately 36 hours.
While sailing ahead of a low-pressure system under brisk but manageable conditions, Burton experienced unexpected damage to a mechanical part of the rigging. This incident has rendered him unable to maneuver his vessel. The Bureau Vallée skipper took ample time to evaluate the damage, attempt repairs, and deliberate carefully before deciding to withdraw.
Having previously mended severe cracks in his boat alone at sea two weeks ago, this second major issue has notably compromised the structural integrity of his boat at a time when weather conditions in the Southern Ocean are particularly challenging.
This decision was a difficult one, yet it comes from a sailor with two round-the-world races to his name, including a third-place finish in the last Vendée Globe, alongside fifteen years of experience in the IMOCA circuit and participation in fifteen transatlantic races, as Burton exits the 10th edition of the Vendée Globe.
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