(Reuters) - New Europe Hungarian skipper Szabolcs Weores has pulled out of the Vendee Globe due to irreparable damage to his boat, organisers of the solo, non-stop and unassisted round-the-world sailing competition said on Monday.
The damage to his IMOCA yacht shroud, a key component of the rigging that supports the mast, broke over the weekend while Weores was sailing on a port tack in winds exceeding 40 knots, approximately 700 miles from the Cape of Good Hope.
Professional rigger Weores, competing in the Vendee Globe for the first time, attempted multiple repairs to stabilise the mast, but none provided the safety assurance needed.
Despite the yacht's rigging having been newly installed and precisely tuned this year, the rapid shock from unexpected events likely caused internal damage to the shroud, which later deteriorated under severe wind and wave conditions.
"This was one of the hardest decisions of my life," Weores said. "I've invested years of effort into the Vendee Globe with the dream of completing this journey. Having to step away now is devastating."
Weores is currently en route to Cape Town, South Africa, expecting to reach there by Tuesday.
Having completed last year's Route du Rhum, which served as a qualifying race, Weores was the second Hungarian to compete in the Vendee Globe, renowned as one of the sport's toughest challenges, after Nandor Fa.
The approximately 24,000-nautical-mile route begins and ends in Les Sables-d'Olonne, France, taking competitors through the Atlantic Ocean, around the southern capes of Africa, Australia, and South America and back up the Atlantic.
Sailors face some of the most remote and hostile conditions on earth as they battle to complete the iconic course.
The race began on Nov. 10.
Frenchman Yannick Bestaven won the last edition, finishing in 80 days, three hours and 44 minutes.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Ken Ferris)
