Chinese entrant Dongfeng has lost time in the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race after sustaining a broken rudder blade, organisers said.
There were no injuries in the incident which occurred early Saturday morning and the boat's crew were able to replace the broken equipment and rejoin the race.
Skippered by Frenchman Charles Caudrelier, Dongfeng slipped back to third in the standings behind Ian Walker's Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and Team Brunei en route from Alicante in Spain to Cape Town.
The race fleet were heading away from the west African coast Saturday in the direction of the Cape Verde islands.
The race set out from Alicante on October 11 at the start of a nine-month marathon covering 38,739 miles of the world's most treacherous waters.
It is due to finish in Gothenburg, Sweden in late June of next year. Teams from Denmark, USA/Turkey, Spain, Abu Dhabi, The Netherlands, China and Sweden are taking part.
Source: AFP