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Cape Horn - At 1810 GMT, with a helicopter and navy tug en route and a tanker standing by, it would have been a matter of hours before additional help arrived on scene of Jean Le Cam's capsized Vendee Globe boat, but that was too long to wait.  As Vincent Riou circled the capsized VM Matériaux, Jean Le Cam climbed out of the boat and into the water, wearing a survival suit for protection from the icy seas.  After the fourth pass, Le Cam was able to board PRB safely.  Unfortunately, Vincent's boat was damaged in the rescue.

Cape Horn - At 0026 GMT, while Vendee Globe sailor Jean Le Cam was calling his team back in France to tell them that VM Matériaux was at serious risk of capsizing, the sat phone went dead.  The distress beacon on Le Cam's IMOCA 60 was then triggered at 0140 GMT.  Hoping for the best, the race committee has begun rescue operations and has routed Armel Le Cléac’h of Brit Air and Vincent Riou on PRB to the scene.  The first should reach the area at around 1300 GMT.

At the start of both Vendee Globe week nine and the new year, we find the leaders of the fleet sailing around the most feared and famous navigational landmark in the world:  Cape Horn.  Michel Desjoyeaux, currently in the lead, was the first around that wicked dagger of land at 0310 GMT this morning, with Roland Jourdain close behind and keeping up the pressure.