Cheminees Poujoulat refloated this morning

5:59 PM Mon 15 Dec 2008 GMT

'Cheminees Poujoulat on the rocks - photo TAAF' Vendee Globe 2008 &copy

Bernard Stamm is beginning a race against the clock to get Chemin?es Poujoulat to an area where he will be able to try to repair her. At the Kerguelen Islands such a yard is impossible, which is why Bernard is hoping to be able to embark the Imoca 60 footer on the Marion Dufresne vessel, which is leaving Kerguelen Tuesday.

Chemin?es Poujoulat was refloated this morning by the crew of the Marion Dufresne and the TAAF after being driven onto the rocks last night. The boat was extracted from this zone and led to the mooring. She is floating and the mast and keel are in place, however sadly she has been ripped open on the port side and is full of water.

'She is floating albeit low in the water and heeled over' explained Bernard at the start of the afternoon. Everyone here has given me a hand and Dominique Wavre also helped me out a huge amount. If we manage to load Chemin?es Poujoulat in time, I will also embark on the Marion Dufresne bound for Reunion or elsewhere.

I don't yet know what's going to happen but there's a lot of work ahead. The most pressing matter is to get the boat out of the water. It's not possible to leave her in the water in Kerguelen. This Vend?e Globe started off badly and has ended painfully, because there's nothing worse than seeing your boat driven onto the shore.'

The grounding occurred after Bernard Stamm arrived Sunday night, the wind got up gusting to 50 knots. He could not stop the boat and pull her alongside the buoy, in spite of some help from Dominique Wavre, who had gone on board. Very quickly the boat reached a patch of weed. He lost control of the boat and found himself on the rocks.

They inflated the liferaft, jumped in it and were taken ashore by Navy divers, who went into the water to help them. Ashore a medical team and vehicles were waiting for them.

Also in the Kerguelen Islands is Dominique Wavre (Temenos II):

For the time being, news from Dominique is being drip-fed to us but the brief phone call from the skipper this morning was reassuring. Tied up to a buoy in the middle of the Baie du Morbihan, Temenos II weathered last night's strong gale without hassle.

Today however, the skipper's priority was to help free Chemin?es Poujoulat, which was driven onto the shore yesterday in some brisk conditions. In 45 knots of breeze, Bernard wasn't able to pick up the mooring which had been laid up for him yesterday. Dominique went to assist in the manouvre but was forced to leave the monohull with Bernard as it was pushed onto the coast.

Seemingly the boat was successfully refloated early this morning, but for now we are unaware as to the extent of the damage suffered aboard the monohull.

Aboard Temenos II, a procedure to stabilise the keel has seemingly been found. The island's mechanics are currently trying to prepare a thick steel lid which is designed to cover the keel head. The rams should be able to be fixed to this lid, limiting the magnitude of the keel movements. The means at their disposal and the good will on site are impressive. Taken care of from the minute he arrived, Dominique described them as 'incredibly generous, helpful people.'

The reception the skipper has received from the people on site has been as brilliant as expected. We remember their involvement with Roland Jourdain and Jean-Luc N?lias on stopover during the Barcelona World Race, whose ruling permitted outside assistance in contrast to that of the Vend?e Globe.

by Kate Jennings

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