News

One week after the grounding of the "Use it again!" in a storm in Cook Bay on Feb 9, the damage is still being investigated in Ushuaia. On the circumnavigation of the world from east to west, the skipper Romain Pilliard and co-skipper Alex Pella had sought shelter from a severe storm, but were unable to anchor. Alex Pella fell asleep below deck while on watch before the trimaran drifted onto the rocks. After being rescued by the Chilean Navy and making the 110 nautical mile journey to Puerto Williams , the ship continued to the larger port of Ushuaia. It turned out that the "Use it again!" can continue the circumnavigation, however, the damage caused by the crash on the rocks was more serious than expected, especially at the middle hull. After consultation with the designer and technical experts, it was decided to take the trimaran out of the water in Ushuaia and quickly get started with the repair. Bow and daggerboard were also damaged, but the structure did not appear to be affected. The shaft bracket is broken and could further damage the center hull. The co-skipper will not continue the voyage and left in the evening of Feb 13. Alex Pella has not yet made a statement about his decision. It remained unclear how long the repair work would take and whether and when there would be a replacement for Alex Pella. German report with photos: https://www.yacht.de/regatta/alle_news/nach-strandung-und-rettung-user-it-again-crew-trennt-sich-bei-weltumseglung

On the evening of Nov 1, 2026, the 'Haltbakk Bunker' suffered engine trouble and needed assistance, while being located on the east side of Stormolla, in the middle of the channel on the way into Ulvsvågssundet amid wind speeds of around 7-8m/s. The NSSR lifeboat 'Sundt Flyer' was deployed to the tanker and took it in tow to Svolvær. The ship was pulled to the quay in Osan and safely moored. Report with photo: https://livecenter.norkon.net/frame/lofotposten/23033/default?p=lc-12760181-23033-lofotposten

The 'Initiatives-Cœur', skippered by Violette Dorange, returned to Roscoff, just hours after the start of the Route du Rhum on Nov 1, 2026, after a collision at sea with Romain Pilliard's trimaran 'Use it again' (MMSI: 228049890), for a technical stopover and a check-up of her monohull with her team. The force of the collision caused significant damage to both yachts. The 'Initiatives-Cœur' had to head to Lorient (Morbihan), the home port, to repair the IMOCA and try to continue the journey to Guadeloupe. It had suffered a few cracks in the foil, all along the starboard side, a little bit at the stern, but the most serious damage was that the crash box, the watertight compartment at the front of the boat, which was completely fractured. The team was now trying to analyse the situation to know when the yacht can set sail again. To carry out the repairs, the yacht had to proceed to Morbihan. To get there, the team had to plug the leak and secure the boat in Roscoff. The yacht has to cross finish line before it closes on Dec 3. Dorange in 2024 became the youngest participant in the Vendée Globe. "The whole point is to repair it as quickly as possible, because we have to cross the finish line before it closes on December 3rd," explains Dorange. The race against time is on.

The 'Saint-Patrick' has been immobilised at the STEB Terminal in Dunkirk since Oct 11 due to the engine trouble, due to which the ferry was initially announced as being out of service for "at least two weeks". Now it will remain in Dunkirk until at least Nov 11 for permanent repairs.

Just hours after leaving the port of Donges on Oct 31 , 2026, at 9.45 p.m., an oil terminal within the Nantes-Saint-Nazaire maritime port, the 'Aretea', with 26 crew members on board, broke down off Noirmoutier-en-l’Île, in the Vendée region, on Nov 1, at 1.30 a.m. The captain reported a major mechanical problem, which was directly affecting the main engine of the vessel, rendering it inoperable. The tanker dropped anchor, and regular contact was maintained between the ship and government services. The captain indicated that he was not requesting emergency towing assistance immediately, preferring to call upon a specialised engineer appointed by the shipowner, which was scheduled to arrive during the afternoon of Nov 2 to conduct a thorough investigation of the propeller shaft and the engine block. The maritime authorities were monitoring the situation closely in order to prevent any risk to navigation and the coastal environment. On Nov 3 at 7.30 a.m., repairs were completed, and the ship resumed its voyage to Setúbal with an ETA as of Nov 6. The vessel has a rigorous inspection history. Regularly inspected by international port authorities over the past 11 years, the ship had, until now, been the subject of no reservations or major deficiencies.