Irish offshore solo sailor Yannick Lemonnier has pledged to continue his Mini Transatlantic Race campaign after his recent yacht dismasting in the English Channel.
Speaking to Afloat, Lemonnier said he had received such a warm and supportive response from sailors in both France and beyond after the incident that he intended to continue his preparations.
Lemonnier (50), managing director of West Coast Sails, is a five-time Figaro sailor with over 90,000 miles sailed - mostly solo.
“The Mini Transat community is quite small, and I have had so many offers of help and so much assistance and kindness in France, and so many calls,” he said.
He said he planned to set up a GoFundMe page here to help cover the financial cost of repairs and would continue his campaign towards this autumn’s Mini Transatlantic.
Lemonnier had completed the Mini Fastnet race and was on his way back to Ireland when his mini 491 Port of Galway was dismasted off the French island of Ouessant at the south-western end of the English Channel.
He was not injured and SNSM, the French lifeboat service, towed him to Lampaul bay on Ouessant.
Lemonnier and his son Sean are reigning champions of the Cong-Galway race, which takes place this weekend.
As Lemonnier plans to quarantine when he returns home, he won’t be competing – but his son, Sean and his friend Killian Matthieu plan to enter the race in their Dart 16.
