The inevitable sail explosion

We left Reunion into very calm seas and no wind for almost two days. For the beginning of a passage into what is meant to be some of the most feared waters on the planet off the south of Madagascar and into the Aguhlas current off the coast of South Africa it was all very subdued, and then the weather rolled in. Plenty of wind and a big unsettled sea state took us to our destination of Durban. I had my base layer thermals on for the first time this trip and waterproofs to keep the rain and the cold out. The weather didn't help to nurse the mainsail into port which has been delaminating and failing more rapidly as time has gone by until one after noon with all three reefs in it the inevitable happened when the sail blew clean in half! The bottom half landing mainly in the boom and the top section pinned against the spreaders still full of wind but still attached by its luff. We managed to retrieve the sail with no further damage done but meaning the remaining two thirds of the crossing was done under headsail only with the help of the engine when needed to help keep the speed up.