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Francis Joyon Unharmed After His Trimaran Capsized
A sudden setback for Francis Joyon. Less than two days after setting sail from Saint-Malo, the skipper of Oceans The boat capsized while competing in the Route du Rhum in the Vintage Multi category. Race organizers announced the accident on Monday, November 2. According to initial reports, Francis Joyon confirmed that he was unharmed.
A rescue operation was launched in coordination with race organizers, CROSS Jobourg, and British authorities. The details of the operation and the sailor?s exact location had not yet been disclosed at the time of this press release.
At the site of the accident, the weather forecast called for winds of 20 to 25 knots, with waves about two meters high.
A capsize just as he was dominating the Vintage Multi class
The accident occurred after a particularly fast start to the race for Francis Joyon. Sailing on a former ORMA-class trimaran, the winner of the 2018 Route du Rhum immediately took the lead in the Vintage Multi class. He held onto that lead through the night from Sunday to Monday and into the morning.
In the 8 a.m. standings, he was leading Damien Seguin by 5.7 miles and Éric Péron by 27.8 miles. His capsizing has therefore turned the competitive landscape upside down in this category. Damien Seguin, aboard the sister ship of Oceans , Arkéa - Handicap International , becomes the new leader.
The circumstances of the accident remain unknown.
A third capsizing involving the same trimaran, thirty years after the first
History repeats itself for Francis Joyon and his trimaran Oceans . The sailor has just capsized for the third time on this 60-foot ORMA, built in 1994 and previously named Banque Populaire and Eure-et-Loir . In 1996, his boat capsized during the Transat Anglaise while he was leading the race.
Six years later, the 2002 Route du Rhum also ended with a capsizing in the Bay of Biscay. Returning to his old boat for the 2026 race, Francis Joyon was fully aware of the demands of these heavily rigged trimarans. This latest accident occurred 30 years after the first, while he was once again leading his class.
