Belgian Skippers Mourn Destroyed Sail in Transat Café l’Or

Here’s a breakdown of​ teh provided text, focusing on the key information and summarizing the event:

Summary:

The text reports on ‌a bizarre incident during the Transat Jacques Vabre race (a sailing race from Le Havre to ⁤Martinique).The Class40 boat “Innovad Group⁣ – XLG,” skippered by Jérôme delire and Caroline Dieu, had its spinnaker (front sail) torn by a plane ⁤that flew too close while attempting ​to take a photograph. The​ sailors were understandably distraught, but managed to recover the sail and deploy a replacement, allowing them to continue the race.The race director called the incident extremely rare.

Key Details:

* Race: Transat Jacques Vabre (Le⁢ Havre to Martinique)
* Boat: Innovad Group – XLG (Class40)
* Skippers: Jérôme ⁤Delire and Caroline ‍Dieu⁢ (Belgium)
* ⁣ Incident: A plane flew too close to the‌ boat, the​ blast from the plane tore the spinnaker⁣ sail.
* Sail Affected: Spinnaker (front sail) – a ⁢crucial part of the boat.
* Sailors’ Reaction: The skippers were in tears and ⁢expressed ⁢frustration that the plane’s pilot seemingly prioritized‍ a photo over safety.
*​ ​ Pilot: The pilot was not identified and‍ there was‌ no radio contact.
* ⁢ Race ⁤Director’s Comment: Francis Le Goff (race director)‌ called the incident extremely rare and expressed‌ sympathy for the sailors.
*‌ Outcome: The sailors recovered and deployed a replacement spinnaker, continuing the race.