Vendee skipper Davies sent 'flying' by unidentified collision

British skipper Sam Davies was the latest competitor in the Vendee Globe race to run into trouble after hitting an 'unidentified floating object' around the Cape of Good Hope, she explained on Thursday.

Two days ago French skipper Kevin Escoffier had to be rescued after his boat folded in two and sank, and on Wednesday his compatriot Sebastien Simon, racing in fourth, reported that his new generation Arkea Paprec yacht had also struck an unidentified object.

Charlie Dalin continues to lead the solo round-the-world non-stop race in Apivia and is now 153 nautical miles ahead of Louis Burton's Bureau Vallee 2 with Thomas Ruyant's LinkedOut a further 50nm back.

Davies, who came fourth in the 2008-09 edition, was making a hot meal and night was falling when her boat Intiatives-Coeur hit the object on Wednesday.

"It was as if I had run aground on a rock at the time," the 46-year-old told race organisers.

"The boatspeed went from 20kts to zero. The boat nosedived on the impact with the keel.

"I knew it was the keel. I heard a crack coming from there.

"I and everything else flew forwards, including my dinner which has repainted the entire inside of my boat. Everything moved.

"I went flying into a ring frame, luckily, because that could have been worse. It was really violent."

Davies "hurt some ribs" but said it was "not serious but really painful". She ran tests and found that the damage to the boat was not too severe but she "cannot sail at any speed".

"I am heading slowly towards Cape Town because that is the nearest shelter and we are continuing to assess the damage," she said.

- Simon 'disgusted' -

Simon is also heading north after Wednesday morning's collision seriously damaged the foil apparatus designed to help lift the boat so that it is virtually flying across the top of the waves.

"I'm a little upset, disgusted, I don't know what to say," said the 30-year-old on Thursday.

"I want to continue this round-the-world trip. I didn't deserve that, it's an incredible injustice."

Simon had been coming back strong in the lead pack after being diverted to help with the search for Escoffier but was facing a second problem when another part broke on his boat.

"As troubles never come alone, every two hours I have to go pump under the cockpit, in an unpleasant place," he said.

Escoffier was saved by fellow competitor Jean Le Cam after a giant wave folded his boat in two.

In a video call with Le Cam alongside, Escoffier told French President Emmanuel Macron how he had endured 12 hours on an inflatable dinghy before gratefully grabbing hold of the lifebelt thrown by his 61-year-old saviour.