Nine rescued as boat runs aground

Nine sailors waded to safety in pitch darkness in the middle of the Indian Ocean early on Sunday morning after their Volvo Ocean Race boat, Vestas Wind, became stranded on a reef.

The collision threatens to write-off their 4.5 million euros ($5.6 million) vessel, a one-design Volvo Ocean 65, and scupper their challenge just seven weeks into the nine-month marathon offshore race.

The drama began at 1510 GMT on Saturday when the boat, under Australian skipper Chris Nicholson, sped into the reef at more than 15 knots and immediately became stuck fast.