First abandonment of the year 2025 in the Vendée Globe!

After having suffered a series of damages and made the decision to take shelter behind the Facklands Islands to repair, Eric Bellion set foot on land on Sunday January 12, 2025 in the morning.

Irreparable damage

Victim of damage on the night of Sunday January 5 to Monday January 6, 2025, the skipper managed to secure the boat. On the morning of Wednesday January 8, Éric Bellion informed the race management of the successful repair of his Imoca.

But on the morning of Saturday January 11, at 9:33 a.m., Éric Bellion contacted his team “to announce that the repair carried out on his headsail attachment (a structural element connecting the mast to the deck) had unfortunately not been held.”

The skipper then made the decision to take shelter east of the Falklands Islands to repair.

9th in 2016

Aged 48, the skipper participated for the second time in the Vendée Globe after finishing 9^e during the 2016 edition.

Contacted by The Sand Journalthe Vendée Globe organization confirmed the skipper’s abandonment this Sunday January 12 at 10:55 a.m.

“Making the decision to stop was horrible. I am so disappointed after all these efforts, my goal was to fight, to give my best to move up the rankings,” Eric Bellion told Media Vendée Globe.

“We are safe, the boat is safe, no one is injured. I have been able to count on extraordinary people here, thank you very much for this support. Now we are going to let the storm pass, we are going to repair and we are going to leave,” assures the skipper.

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