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| Severe weather hits Fastnet crews | Severe weather hits Fastnet crews |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| More than 90 boats competing in the Fastnet yacht race have been forced to seek shelter due to adverse weather. | More than 90 boats competing in the Fastnet yacht race have been forced to seek shelter due to adverse weather. |
| Some have even pulled out completely after suffering damage off the Dorset and Devon coastlines. | Some have even pulled out completely after suffering damage off the Dorset and Devon coastlines. |
| Around 300 yachts left Cowes on Monday to cover the 608 miles to Queen Anne's Battery in Plymouth via Fastnet rock. | Around 300 yachts left Cowes on Monday to cover the 608 miles to Queen Anne's Battery in Plymouth via Fastnet rock. |
| The prestigious race should have started on Sunday morning but was postponed after organisers received a severe weather warning. | |
| Portland Coastguard said a number of boats were sheltering along the Dorset and Devon coastline and in ports, including Torbay, Plymouth and Weymouth. | Portland Coastguard said a number of boats were sheltering along the Dorset and Devon coastline and in ports, including Torbay, Plymouth and Weymouth. |
| Trish Jenkins, from the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), said: "We expect more yachts to retire as the day goes on." | Trish Jenkins, from the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), said: "We expect more yachts to retire as the day goes on." |
| Hole in the mainsail makes carrying on folly. Gutted Matthew Pinsent Aviva Ocean Racing | Hole in the mainsail makes carrying on folly. Gutted Matthew Pinsent Aviva Ocean Racing |
| Hampshire's Dee Caffari has already pulled her yacht, Aviva Ocean Racing, out of the race. | Hampshire's Dee Caffari has already pulled her yacht, Aviva Ocean Racing, out of the race. |
| Olympic rowing champion Matthew Pinsent, who is aboard Ms Caffari's boat, said the decision was hard to take. | Olympic rowing champion Matthew Pinsent, who is aboard Ms Caffari's boat, said the decision was hard to take. |
| "Withdrawing from race and heading back to Southampton," he wrote in his diary on the BBC Sport website. "Hole in the mainsail makes carrying on folly. Gutted." | "Withdrawing from race and heading back to Southampton," he wrote in his diary on the BBC Sport website. "Hole in the mainsail makes carrying on folly. Gutted." |
| Salcombe lifeboat has also rescued a 36-year-old man who broke his leg on board one yacht. He has been taken to hospital. | Salcombe lifeboat has also rescued a 36-year-old man who broke his leg on board one yacht. He has been taken to hospital. |
| The 300-strong field is the largest since the disastrous race of 1979. | The 300-strong field is the largest since the disastrous race of 1979. |
| Seventeen sailors died in that event after the yachts were caught in a vicious storm off the south coast of Ireland. | Seventeen sailors died in that event after the yachts were caught in a vicious storm off the south coast of Ireland. |
| The RORC said the decision to delay the start was made after the severe weather warnings were issued by the Met Office. | The RORC said the decision to delay the start was made after the severe weather warnings were issued by the Met Office. |
| The RORC added that its policy was to only start the race "when it is safe to do so". | The RORC added that its policy was to only start the race "when it is safe to do so". |