The flotation of Dyno-Rod, the famous drain-clearing business, has collapsed after its founder refused to sell.

A classic Brussels fudge appears set to diffuse a transatlantic standoff over accounting standards for banks and insurance companies.

Jim Zockoll, the transatlantic pilot who founded the drain clearing business Dyno-Rod 40 years ago, is to pocket £50m from its sale and flotation next month.

Exhausted after a week-long battle with the Atlantic, disappointed at missing a new world record for the west-to east solo transatlantic crossing by 75 minutes in 170 hours and let down by an unco-operative wind, Ellen MacArthur was already planning her next adventure as she made her way up the Channel to Southampton last night.

As a trio of French trimaran skippers skittled the transatlantic record and a fourth prepared to join the dockside celebrations in Boston last night, further north, off the notorious Grand Banks, a battle royal was still in play as Britain's Mike Golding worked night and day to win the 60-foot monohull class of The Transat.

A wistful Ellen MacArthur found herself sidelined yesterday, surrounded by the boats she loves to sail and talking to the community of which she has been a part for nearly 10 years about how she would like to join them.