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Calm winds force Le Bon to quit race
Aug 12 2005
The lead singer of Birmingham chart-toppers Duran Duran has pulled out of the same sailing race in which he and his crew of 24 almost lost their lives 20 years ago when their yacht capsized.
Simon Le Bon was reunited with all but one of the original crew to take part in the Rolex Fastnet Race during which he and other crew members became trapped under the capsized hull of his yacht the Drum in 1985.
But the yacht, the Arnold Clark Drum, retired on Wednesday because of calm winds 25 miles from the Fastnet rock the turning point in the 608-mile race.
The singer was unable to continue because he had to fly to Japan yesterday to begin a series of concerts for 60,000 fans in Tokyo.
The crew, which set off from Cowes, Isle of Wight, on Sunday, took the decision to motor round the rock and return to Plymouth.
In the 1985 race, Le Bon had to be rescued after he was trapped for 40 minutes in the hull after the keel fell off the yacht.
Following the 1985 race, Le Bon sold his yacht, Drum, but it was lent back to him for this year's race by the current owner Sir Arnold Clark. The aim of competing in the race once again was to raise funds and awareness for the RNLI.
