One of the few ARC yachts still at sea, Andromeda of Plymouth, has been dismasted while nearing the end of the crossing.

All four crew members on board the British yacht are unhurt and, after clearing away the rig, were able to motor to Barbados which is slightly nearer than their intended destination St Lucia.

Skipper Andrew Wilson said: ‘I am exceedingly proud of the crew of Andromeda, everyone got on and did just what they needed to do with no fuss but I am sure we will have a few shakes once we get to Barbados.

‘For now we know you will be thinking of us as we make our way there, we anticipate making landfall sometime tomorrow. For now the squall has stopped, the sun is coming out again, albeit a bit hazy and its time for lunch.’

It has been a relatively event-free ARC this year with light winds making this type of incident very rare.

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