In 25 knots of wind and waves, "Pen Duick VI" roared to the finish line. She had been underway for 30 days since the start in New Zealand on 14 January. At 73 feet, the black ketch is the largest yacht in the Ocean Globe Race. It is not her first participation: Marie's father Éric Tabarly started with her in the Whitbread Round the World Race back in 1973. Strong winds, as the crew experienced it off Cape HornThis is exactly the right condition for the ship, emphasised Marie Tabarly.
The crew celebrated their success by taking a dip in the yacht club's pool in front of hundreds of enthusiastic fans.
"Translated9" in Trouble - "bittersweet victory"
The party mood of the French is overshadowed by the retirement of their opponents on the Swan 65 "Translated9". In the South Atlantic, on the way to Punta del Este, the crew reported water ingress and damage to the hull. According to the organiser, the cracks had appeared after a knockdown in a storm. Of necessity, the Italians cancelled the leg and sailed back to the Falkland Islands. There, the ship is being prepared for transport to Uruguay. The crew hopes to have it repaired by the start of the final leg on 5 March and then be able to resume the race.
As the "Translated9" crew were almost neck-and-neck with "Pen Duick VI" until their cancellation, Marie Tabarly put their performance into perspective a little and spoke of a "bittersweet victory".
Shooting off Cape Horn
The rest of the fleet is also making it exciting: the Finns on "Spirit of Helsinki" and the women's crew on "Maiden" are sailing almost within striking distance of each other towards Punta del Este. "Neptune" from France is also currently only 60 nautical miles behind them. The three yachts are expected to reach the finish line at the end of the week.
All but one crew have now passed Cape Horn. The Swan 53 "Sterna", sailing under the South African flag, on which Ebru Yaral from Hamburg has signed onhas now made it as the penultimate boat. The "Sterna" is currently skippered by Jeremy Bagshaw, who also took part in the Golden Globe Race.
Now only the "Explorer" has to reach the Atlantic again. However, the crew of the Swan 57 had to contend with a steering failure shortly before Cape Horn. In strong winds, gusting up to 55 knots, and breaking seas of seven metres, she turned under storm sails and waited for daylight and calmer conditions before starting repairs. These were successful - now the stern is also on its way to the highlight of this leg.
About the Ocean Globe Race
The Retro race around the world is taking place this year to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Whitbread Round the World Race. On 10 September 2023, 14 crews set off from Southampton on the 27,000-mile voyage, which is divided into four stages and leads through the Southern Ocean and around the three large capes.
