Australian rescue authorities are leading a mission to rescue injured Indian GGR solo sailor from dismasted yacht deep in the South Indian Ocean.

Abhilash Tomy and Gregor McGuckin rolled and dismasted, while Mark Slats experiences two major knock-downs.

Charting a 3,542-nautical mile course from Saint-Malo in Brittany to Point-à-Pitre on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, the Route du Rhum has established itself as one of the big targets for the world’s top solo ocean racers.

Australian Mark Sinclair dropped off film packages in Cape Town and now appears to have "gone cruising" up the east coast of Africa.

Taking second place on Line Honours, Matt Allen's TP52 posted a fast enough time to climb to the top of the IRC and ORCi leaderboards where she remained to the finish.

Already a fleet of 48 includes last year’s winner, three super maxis, nine internationals and some never-before-seen boats that are serious challengers for the main event – the Tattersall Cup.

Finishing in 6 hours, 28 minutes 20 seconds, Comanche broke the record of 7hrs 30mins 19secs set by Koa last year.

With the right conditions predicted, super maxi Comanche is on track to break the race record.

The Belgian skipper has created an innovative funding scheme, creating works of art to cover the 2.5 million Euro cost of the venture.

The Turn the Tide on Plastic boat, alongside Team AkzoNobel’s boat, collected seawater samples that were tested by race scientists for microplastics as well as levels of salinity, dissolved CO2 and algae.

Jim Cooney’s super-maxi Comanche has entered the series, and will be competing against its smaller rivals in the 28-strong Flinders Islet fleet.

Drew Carruthers’ Rushour is the first multihull entry in the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club organised race in some years.

On Sunday, Tapio Lehtinen woke up to the pleasant surprise of seeing Istvan Kopar’s Tradewind 35 Puffin within a mile of him.

Unusually, the race will now run the week before Cowes Week, whose dates remain unchanged, starting on Saturday 10th August.

A passing ship located Olleanna a few days before her arrival in Cape Town but Wiig politely declined the Captain’s offer of support and made it to port unaided.