He wouldn't be seen in anything else, despite the fact that his mast snapped midway through last year's regatta.

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The mistake allowed the company to assume it had consent and - despite negotiations to find a different site - the mast went up towards the end of the year.

BBC: A mobile phone mast protest

The 38-year-old's most recent attempt at the Vendee earlier this year lasted just six days, after her mast collapsed.

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According to a leaked parliamentary report, several cadets on the Gorch Fock were reluctant to climb the mast in November following the death of a 25-year-old student - known only as Sarah S - during a stop-over in Salvador de Bahia in Brazil.

BBC: Germany investigates alleged Gorch Fock mutiny