Alain Colas (16 September 1943 – 16 November 1978) was a French sailor, the first to complete a solitary round-the-world race in a multihull.
He met
Éric Tabarly in
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
in 1967, and bought
Pen Duick IV from him in 1970, and won the
"Transat" in 1972. In 1972, he started the construction of a 72m (236 feet) 4 masted monohull for the 1976
"Transat".
He broke his right ankle, underwent 22 surgeries, and got back on his feet for the solitary transatlantic race.
Éric Tabarly won, and Alain Colas arrived 2nd, but was classed 5th. On 5 November 1978, he took part in his last race, the first
Route du Rhum. On 16 November 1978, as he passed the Azores, he sent his last radio message saying that everything was alright and sailing well. Neither his boat ''
Manureva'' nor his body were ever found.
See also
*
List of people who disappeared mysteriously at sea
*
Manureva (Pen Duick IV)
*
PhocéaINA (French video archives) on Alain Colas
References
1942 births
1970s missing person cases
1978 deaths
French sailors
Missing people
People lost at sea
Single-handed circumnavigating sailors
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