French sailing veteran Francis Joyon has been rescued from the Celtic Sea after his boat capsized during the opening stages of the Route du Rhum.
Race organisers announced on Monday that the 70-year-old skipper overturned while sailing at the front of the fleet toward the north of the Azores. Joyon was not injured in the accident, although the exact causes of the capsize are not yet known.
Joyon was safely picked up from the water at 11:00 pm on Monday night by the cargo vessel Maersk Colombus. Organisers confirmed on their website that the French sailor is in good health and is travelling aboard the ship toward Ireland, where he will be put ashore in the coming hours.
Rescue operation in Celtic Sea
The rescue mission was launched in coordination with race officials, the British coastguard authorities and the Jobourg Regional Operational Centre for Surveillance and Rescue, known in France as CROSS Jobourg. Weather conditions in the area were described by race organisers as fair, with winds blowing at 20 to 25 knots and waves reaching two metres.
The Route du Rhum is a prestigious solo transatlantic yacht race held every four years, taking sailors across more than 3,500 nautical miles from Saint-Malo in north-western France to Pointe-a-Pitre on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Joyon is one of the competition's most famous figures, having won the race in 2018 in the giant Ultim trimaran class.
Turbulent start for 2026 fleet
Joyon returned to the event this year in the Vintage Multi class, sailing an older generation ORMA ocean trimaran. He had enjoyed an impressive start and was leading his division ahead of rival French skipper Damien Seguin when his boat overturned.
His capsize marks another setback in an eventful opening period for the 2026 race. The fleet had already suffered an early collision between competitors Violette Dorange and Romain Pilliard, while a separate mechanical failure left sailor Anthony Marchand stranded on the water.
