Spanish Skipper Sets Sail Four Days Late

LES SABLES-D'OLONNE, France, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Nov, 2016 ) : Spanish skipper Didac Costa finally set sail from Les Sables d'Olonne in the solo round the world race on Thursday -- four days behind the rest of the Vendee Globe fleet.

Costa was forced to return to the Brittany port two hours after Sunday's start when his boat suffered electrical problems. Repairs completed Costa and One Planet One Ocean embarked on their 21,638 nautical mile odyssey taking in the the three great Capes - Good Hope, Leeuwin and the Horn - at 1140 GMT.

With over 1100 nautical miles of Atlantic Ocean separating Costa's boat and Vendee Globe leader Armel Le Cleach he has had to forgo any hopes of winning the event known as the Everest of the seas.

"My only aim now is to finish this round-the-world race," he conceded before leaving port. "Nothing would have been possible without the help and support of the other teams and especially the firemen of Sables d'Olonne who have given up lots of time to help us," said Costa, himself a fireman in Barcelona.

As the Catalan was leaving the French coast the other 28 boats were approaching the Canary Islands with Le Cleac'h's Banque Populaire VIII leading the way 17 nm ahead of fellow French skipper Vincent Riou's PRB.