Vendee Globe Parlier Dismasted in Souther Ocean, drifting...

by Philippe Jeantot on 19 Dec 2000 After numerous attempts to contact Yves Parlier on board Aquitaine Innovations, the Race HQ for the Vendée Globe 2000 is now able to announce that in fact
his Open 60 'Aquitaine Innovations' has dismasted. This was communicated to us via the Aquitaine Innovations shore team.

Since yesterday, we have been following with some anxiety the progression of Yves Parlier. The abnormal heading and boat speeds recorded given the
favourable weather conditions in which he was navigating. All efforts to communicate with him were in vain until just a while ago, when the Race HQ received
the following sober fax: 'Technical problems. No need for assistance and skipper in fine health. YP'

Despite his reassurances that he was safe and unharmed, the Race HQ have asked Ellen MacArthur (Kingfisher) & Dominique Wavre (UBP) to head towards his
position in order to try and get visual contact with the boat and ascertain the situation at sea.

At this hour, Aquitaine Innovations advances at 6.9 knots heading 101 degrees in 20 knot South West winds. The low pressure system is spreading and the
wind should ease off more and become lighter tonight, shifting to the North West at 15 knots tomorrow morning.

The website at http://www.vendeeglobe.com will be updated with all the latest news as it comes in.

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For further information:


Go to the official race website: http://www.vendeeglobe.com - click on the English flag

To access just the latest news online go to: http://212.83.129.122/vg/news.asp?us

Contact the International Communications Team:
Mary Ambler
Espace Vivendi, 6, rue de Tilsitt, 75380 Paris
Tel: +33 (0) 1 71 71 34 00
Fax: +33 (0) 1 71 71 34 09/10
Mob: +33 (0) 6 73 31 27 79


Latest Ranking* polled at 0800hrs (UT):

Psn Boat Skipper Lat Long Headg Av. Speed** DTF*** Miles from leader

1 PRB Michel Desjoyeaux 48°09'S 97°26'E 96 17.2 13758 0
2 Sill Matines & La Potagère Roland Jourdain 48°49'S 94°27'E 93 16.3 13839 81
3 Aquitaine Innovations Yves Parlier 48°43'S 87°47'E 102 5.51 14060 302
4 Sodebo Savourons la Vie Thomas Coville 50°13'S 84°50'E 88 13 14168 410
5 Kingfisher Ellen MacArthur 48°40'S 84°58'E 105 13.6 14180 422
6 Active Wear Marc Thiercelin 49°46'S 83°43'E 101 11.9 14196 438
7 Solidaires Thierry Dubois 50°12'S 80°00'E 58 8.78 14340 582
8 Union Bancaire Privée Dominique Wavre 48°10'S 78°28'E 70 10.7 14423 665
9 Whirlpool Catherine Chabaud 50°16'S 77°17'E 78 12.7 14454 696
10 EBP - Défi PME - Gartmore Josh Hall 47°29'S 75°00'E 87 9.33 14569 811
11 Voilà.fr Bernard Gallay 46°38'S 64°59'E 102 14.4 14971 1213
12 VM Matériaux Patrice Carpentier 47°10'S 64°36'E 90 13.2 14977 1219
13 Nord Pas de Calais - Chocolats du Monde Joe Seeten 46°58'S 58°20'E 115 13.3 15233 1475
14 Aquarelle.com Simone Bianchetti 44°52'S 50°23'E 94 11.3 15583 1825
15 Team Group 4 Mike Golding 48°04'S 38°15'E 134 14 16036 2278
16 Old Spice Javier Sanso 42°26'S 36°23'E 112 6.33 16198 2440
17 Wind Pascuale de Gregorio 44°53'S 34°08'E 60 9.59 16219 2461
18 DDP - 60ème Sud Didier Munduteguy 43°12'S 18°29'E 90 10.1 16882 3124
19 Modern University for the Humanities Fedor Konyukhov 38°49'S 14°12'W 158 9.24 18308 4550

*Ranking ­ A series of waypoints marking a logical route have been used to calculate the rankings. The boat is ranked according to the waypoint it is nearest to.

**Average Speed - this is an instantaneous reading