Irish Sailor Caught Up In Atlantic Yacht Race Rescue

An Irish sailor is caught up in an international rescue operation in the Atlantic Ocean west of France today.The FonciaThe Irish crewman and his French skipper were on board one of three yachts which got into difficulty during the Transat Jacques Vabre race from Le Havre to Brazil. Two of the vessels capsized during ferocious sailing conditions west of the Bay of Biscay, while the third lost its masts. The Irishman is on board one of the capsized yachts - the Foncia - and is currently holed up in the hole of the boat in winds of up to 70mph along with the skipper. The pair are both slightly injured, one of them with a broken collar bone, but they are in radio contact with the race organisers. Rescue helicopters from England, Scotland and France have been sent to help the stricken yachts along with a French warship and several merchant and fishing vessels.