Le Bon sails past race crash site

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Le Bon sails past race crash site

Le Bon said he would feel "vindicated" to pass Falmouth

Pop star Simon Le Bon, who is competing in the Fastnet race for the first time since nearly drowning 20 years ago, has crossed the point where he almost died.

The Duran Duran singer, 46, celebrated with some of the original crew on board his former boat, Drum, which overturned in bad weather off Falmouth in 1985.

They were trapped under the hull for up to 40 minutes when the keel broke off.

His 2005 team is competing against 280 other boats in the race, which set off from Cowes, Isle of Wight, on Sunday.

After the accident Le Bon sold Drum, now known as The Arnold Clark Drum, which is being loaned back to him by Scottish entrepreneur, Sir Arnold Clark, for the race.

Original crew member Phil Wade said this year's experience compared with 1985 like "chalk and cheese".

'I'm not afraid'

"It's a beautiful sunny day," he said.

"We are sitting out here in shorts and shirts off. It's a complete contrast to the last time.

"It was driving rain and down to one mile visibility."

Earlier, Le Bon, who was asleep at the time of the 1985 accident, said: "I'm not afraid but I do think when we pass the point where the keel fell off we will feel a bump inside us and feel vindicated about doing the whole thing again.

"For us that race and accident is one of the most important things to happen to us in our whole lives."

On Friday, the singer was reunited with RNLI coxswain Vivian Pentecost, 74, who helped rescue him.

Courtesy BBC News

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