Bastide Otio and the whale: the collision seen from the boat

Just a month after the start of the 2016-17 Vendée Globe, on December 6 in the middle of the Indian Ocean to the north of the Crozet Islands, Kito de Pavant and his Bastide Otio hit an unidentified floating object. The damage was fatal for the boat and the skipper was forced to abandon the race and his monohull.

A French vessel, the Marion Dufresne, was sailing close to the area when the incident happened. Kito was rescued and taken aboard the ship. After the incident, when the videos recorded on the hard disk aboard the boat become available, it was discovered that the unidentified object was in fact a sperm whale, which was clearly visible in the wake of the boat.

Video on board captured thanks to Bepeho and Mediaman-assistant.