Only two and a half months after being abandoned in the North Atlantic, Vincent Riou’s Open 60PRBhas left Halifax under sail.

Riou was forced to abandon the yacht during the Artemis Transat race earlier this year after a collision with a whale damaged the keel. After she was later recovered, her shore team have made several trips to Canada to assemble a new keel, the bulb of which came from the USA and the fin from France.

The skipper intends to head for Port la Forêt, which he should reach in twelve days or so after completing the compulsory 3500 miles of solo sailing which should see him qualify for the Vendée Globe.

Below: PRB left to her fate in the North Atlantic.