Jean-Pierre Dick becomes fourth competitor to complete Vendee Globe

Briton Mike Golding currently in fifth place

French skipper Francois Gabart celebrates after winning the 7th edition of the Vendee Globe solo round-the-world race (AFP)

A heroic fourth place finish was achieved by Jean-Pierre Dick on Monday after coaxing his 60-foot Virbac-Paprec over the last 2,400 miles of the Vendée Globe singlehanded round the world race without a keel and only water ballast to supply stability.

He crossed the line in les Sables d’Olonne three hours three minutes and 40 seconds into his 87 day, having spent two days at anchor, sheltering from bad weather 290 miles from the finish.

He finished sixth in 2004-05, had to retire in 2008-09, and was lying third when his keel snapped off on 21 January.

Safe on the island of Tercira in the Azores was Spain’s Javier Sanso after being lifted off his capsized yacht at about midnight. “All is well” he told race direction after being examined for hypothermia by doctors.

Holding on to fifth place by 65 miles from Jean le Cam was Mike Golding in Gamesa with 650 miles to go.

In Auckland, Emirates Team New Zealand unveiled its second and likely 72-foot wing-powered catamaran to contest the Louis Vuitton and, if the winner of that, the America’s Cup in San Francisco between July and September.

In San Francisco, the America’s Cup defender, Oracle, was also ready to resume testing after repairs to its first boat after capsizing in October.