Yvan Bourgnon and his crew onTeam Oceanhad to abandon a record attempt in Dubai after the bow of their central hull broke off.

Team Ocean, an ORMA 60 trimaran and a veteran of The Race, was attempting to break the record for circumnavigating the group of man-made islands known as ‘The World’ in Dubai when the accident happened.

“We were going full speed and suddenly the boat broke,” crewmember Christof Vanek toldThe Nationalnewspaper. “It’s very unfortunate.”

The boat was, he said, “very heavily damaged – and after sailing half way around the world to get here”.

Photo: TheNational.ae