"What we can say so far is that it was human error," announced the management of Team Vestas Wind in a statement. However, it remains unclear who made the mistake that led to the team's dramatic accident. They do not want to speak to the crew until they have arrived in Abu Dhabi.
She was taken on board from St. Brandon Atoll by a fishing boat that regularly supplies the coastguard helpers stationed there and should have arrived in Port Louis on Maurtitius this morning. From there it will continue on to Abu Dhabi.
The statement goes on to say that after analysing the aerial photographs and the reports from the crew members, it is feared that the yacht can no longer be repaired. However, even in this case, all options are being discussed to see whether a return to the race is still possible.
There is apparently no eighth boat, a replacement boat so to speak. As Mark Somerville, Operations Manager of Persico Marine in Italy, confirmed to YACHT online, seven hulls have been built in the shipyard's moulds so far. However, he also confirmed that all options for producing an eighth boat are being examined.
Impressions of the hustle and bustle in the doldrums
Team SCA has caught up
A lot has happened in racing since yesterday. The SCA women's team moved up from last place to fourth. In the process, it has made up a gap of over 50 nautical miles. Most recently, Abu Dhabi, Brunel and Dongfeng were only three nautical miles apart and achieved six to ten knots in a stern wind. Team SCA and Alvimedica sailed a more westerly course, Mapfre to the east.
