Some finish without a Keel and some not!

This Image shows clearly that the Boat Acciona 100% EcoPower has lost its swinging Keel!
This is the 3rd Boat , this VG2012 alone, that lost its Keel, while one more Boat suffered a broken hydraulic rod to push the Keel; other VG have seen also Boats that lost its Keel. 
For sure an item that  needs attention from Imoca to make this Boats seaworthy for a Round the World race.

ACCIONA  capsized, Javier Sanso is rescued and save!

A video of Javier's Rescue

Le sauvetage de Javier Sanso by VendeeGlobeTV

Javier must be a lucky unhappy Sailor. Unhappy that his Boats shed off its Keel and he can not finish this VendeeGlobe 2012 race; Lucky that he is rescued and save.

While Javier was thrown off his Boat into the Water and his boat turned complete over; Jean-Pierre Dick was given the time to react and could save the Boat from capsizing.  The difference outcome is large, Javier is out of the race, while JP has finished, but the circumstances that decide will be a matter of very small margins, of wind strength, the side of the wave you are on and the time the boat takes to heel.

JP Dick has finished the VendeeGlobe 2012 as 4th , sailing some 2000Nm without his Keel and sheltering in a small cove to wait out a storm.

JP Dick finished 4th 

At least he did not have any problems with the times of the tides to enter the channel to Les Sables :wink: He must be the luckiest man of the fleet, seeing what can happen with loosing a Keel.

A video of the arrival of JP Dick can be seen, as well as a video for the arrival of Alex Thompson