En el medio de la nada y casi chocan, PRB amurado a babor y Paprec Virbac a estribor, ambos skippers dentro del barco y de pura casualidad Vincent Riou salió a cubierta a chequear que todo esté ok y se encontró al barco de Jean Pierre Dick que se le venía encima, atinó a manotear el timón y tirar el barco al viento, no chocaron de milagro. Luego Vincent lo llamó a Jean Pierre, que nunca se enteró de lo que pasó, para avisarle del hecho.
JPC
Informe de prensa de Alinghi
La vela en el mundo
02.12.2008 (12:31 CET) - Vendee Globe
Near collision in Vendee Globe
PAPREC-VIRBAC - SKIPPER: JEAN PIERRE DICK (FRA), WAS ASLEEP ON STARBOARD
VINCENT RIOU (FRA), SAILING ON PORT, MANAGED TO LUFF UP AND AVOID THE COLLISION
At the 11.00 position reports yesterday, Vincent Riou and Jean Pierre Dick, were about 6 miles apart. At about 12.30 GMT, both skippers got a big fright.Vincent Riou, on PRB, had been down below checking his charts when he decided to go on deck and make sure all was well. On setting foot in the cockpit, he was staggered to see that Paprec-Virbac was so close; far too close! Just how close Vincent isn’t sure, but he reckoned about 20 to 30 second away and on a collision course.Vincent, on port tack, grabbed the tiller to luff and just avoided an accident.Vincent said afterward “My anti collision radar was on, but I never heard anything from it. It’s the closest shave I’ve ever had, all the time I’ve been at sea.”Jean-Pierre Dick said “I was asleep. Vincent called me to tell me what happened. It is fortunate he saw me or it would have been a catastrophe. Looking back it really scares you
