RENNES, France — Groupe Bel, one of the boats competing in the solo, non-stop round-the-world yacht race the Vendee Globe, has been damaged after a collision with a trawler, organisers said Monday. Skipper Kito de Pavant, who was unharmed in the accident, is steering the stricken vessel to the southern Portuguese port of Cascais to assess the damage, which includes a broken boom. According to reports, the trawler's AIS (automatic identification system) was switched off at the time of the accident 129km north of Cascais. De Pavant's technical team is heading to Portugal to await the arrival of the stricken boat. — AP
