Volvo Ocean Race: New bow for Vestas: The blue boat also misses leg 6

Since the Danish-American team Vestas 11th Hour Racing was involved in a serious collision with a local fishing boat in the final stages of the fourth leg to Hong Kong, in which a Chinese fisherman was killed, nothing has been the same for anyone involved. While the authorities continue to investigate the accident and communication has been temporarily suspended, the team is endeavouring to repair the badly damaged blue boat. After missing the fifth leg, there was not enough time or resources on site to take part in the challenging sixth leg from Hong Kong to Auckland. The Vestas yacht has already been loaded onto a container ship to New Zealand, where it is to be repaired. In accordance with the regulations, a new bow section is being built at the same time at the Italian shipyard Persico Marine, which is also to be shipped to Auckland.

The team will reconvene in New Zealand to review further options. The team's focus remains on the victims of the accident. "Together with our colleagues in the Volvo Ocean Race and the other participating teams, we have expressed our deepest sympathies to those affected," said team co-founder Mark Towill, who took command on the fourth leg in the absence of skipper Charlie Enright. "With a seriously damaged boat and a whole series of challenges to overcome, we had to decide on the necessary steps to enable us to return to the race." It remains the team's stated goal in difficult times. Towill continued: "Thanks to continued support from and co-operation with our partners, the Volvo Ocean Race and the entire team, we have been able to assemble a team of experts to consider our options. The aim remains to continue the race."

In Auckland, the team plans to start training together after the repairs have been completed and will probably take part in both the harbour race in New Zealand and stage 7 in the Brazilian port of Itajaí. Once again, the team has only announced further statements on the accident. In view of the ongoing investigations, the team is still not providing any detailed official information on the exact course of the collision on 20 January or the circumstances surrounding it. The sixth leg from Hong Kong to Auckland, covering around 6100 nautical miles, starts on 7 February. The fleet is expected to arrive in New Zealand in the last week of February.