Fed: French solo sailor to wait up to five days with broken leg

AAP General News (Australia)
12-19-2008
Fed: French solo sailor to wait up to five days with broken leg

A French solo sailor will have to wait up to five days to be rescued .. after breaking
his leg in the Southern Ocean south of Western Australia .. during an around-the-world
yacht race.

Race organisers say 34-year-old father of two YANN ELIES is unable to move after suffering
a broken thighbone when his 60-foot boat .. Generali .. slammed into a wave while he was
preparing a sail on board.

A spokeswoman for the Vendee Globe round-the-world race says the drama occurred about
780 nautical miles off Albany about eight o'clock last night (AWDT).

She says ELIES .. a first-time entrant .. managed to crawl into the cabin before alerting
race organisers .. but he's in pain and cannot move.

She says he cannot get off the floor of the boat to reach painkillers .. or take the
headsail down .. and even though he's managed to activate the autopilot .. he's been unable
to secure the vessel for any bad weather.

Race organisers have notified the Australian Search and Rescue Service who'll co-ordinate
the rescue effort.

AAP RTV krc/psm/

KEYWORD: SAIL GLOBE (SYDNEY)

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.