French sailor Yannick Bestaven was declared the winner of the round-the-world Vendée Globe race on Thursday following his role in the rescue of a fellow competitor.
Bestaven was the third sailor to cross the finish line in Les Sables d’Olonne, France, but a jury awarded him a time compensation of 10 hours and 15 minutes for helping to rescue stricken competitor Kevin Escoffier earlier in the race.
Escoffier was forced to abandon his yacht off South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope in November and spent more than 11 hours in a life raft. He was eventually rescued by Jean Le Cam, the nearest competitor to the scene.
Bestaven, skipper of Maître CoQ IV, achieved a finishing time of 80 days, 13 hours, 59 minutes and 46 seconds after his role in the rescue operation was taken into account.