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Volvo Ocean RaceSail tear throws Brunel back, AkzoNobel extends lead

Tatjana Pokorny

 · 21.03.2018

Volvo Ocean Race: Sail tear throws Brunel back, AkzoNobel extends leadPhoto: VOR
Stage 7, Day 5
In his latest blog from on board, Brunel skipper Bouwe Bekking explains his team's losses: two cracks in the J2 have cost many miles

The mishap had already occurred on Tuesday, and the consequences were clear for all to see: cracks in the J2 cost Bouwe Bekking's Team Brunel its position in the leading group. His team fell back bit by bit after the material broke. The repaired sail could only be hoisted again on Wednesday. Since then, the team on the yellow boat in fifth place has been struggling to catch up with the leading boats.

A picture of Mapfre's "submarine". The competition can be seen in the background - the boats are so close together on the fifth day of leg 7 in the Southern OceanPhoto: VOR A picture of Mapfre's "submarine". The competition can be seen in the background - the boats are so close together on the fifth day of leg 7 in the Southern Ocean
The gap between Bouwe Bekking's team Brunel and the leader AkzoNobel had grown to almost 17 nautical miles on Thursday morning. With a good 5000 nautical miles still to go to the Braislian harbour of Itajaì, this is no cause for great concern, but it is a nuisance in view of the torn sailPhoto: VOR The gap between Bouwe Bekking's team Brunel and the leader AkzoNobel had grown to almost 17 nautical miles on Thursday morning. With a good 5000 nautical miles still to go to the Braislian harbour of Itajaì, this is no cause for great concern, but it is a nuisance in view of the torn sail

Simeon Tienpont's team AkzoNobel took the lead on Thursday morning and extended it overnight. As the fastest boat in the previous 24 hours, the team has built up a lead of almost 9 nautical miles over the Spanish team Mapfre, which leads the overall standings, at around the 53rd parallel. Just under 10 nautical miles behind the Dutch and only one behind Mapfre, Charles Caudrelier's Dongfeng Race Team put the pressure on. Meanwhile, Dee Caffari's Team Turn the Tide on Plastic and David Witt's Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag have lost some ground on the dominant boats in the displacement race on the east course of Cape Horn. Caffari's gap has grown to almost 40 nautical miles, while Witt's "Scallywags" are 55 nautical miles behind AkzoNobel.

Difficult task for the "Scallywags" David Witt and Libby Greenhalgh. The skipper and his navigator have to think about how they can make up 55 nautical miles in the displacement race on course for Cape Horn. They are currently only in last place in the fleet of seven VO65 yachtsPhoto: VOR Difficult task for the "Scallywags" David Witt and Libby Greenhalgh. The skipper and his navigator have to think about how they can make up 55 nautical miles in the displacement race on course for Cape Horn. They are currently only in last place in the fleet of seven VO65 yachts Libby Greenhalgh's brother Rob - here at the wheel for Mapfre - is doing better with his team: The Spaniards lead the overall standings and have worked their way up to second place on day five of the seventh stagePhoto: VOR Libby Greenhalgh's brother Rob - here at the wheel for Mapfre - is doing better with his team: The Spaniards lead the overall standings and have worked their way up to second place on day five of the seventh stage

Bouwe Bekking described Brunel's misfortune as follows: "Yesterday we had two tears in the leech of our J2. That was expensive because we could no longer sail in the three headsail combination. We had to get the sail below deck, unfurl it and spread it out for repair. We used acetone to remove the salt water and dry it as quickly as possible. We have a special glue for sail repairs, but we opted for the good old Sikaflex method because the 'healing process' then progresses faster in these temperatures (because Sikaflex hardens faster in very humid conditions, ed.). For Abby, Carlo and Kyle, this meant working in three shifts. The latter had the fortunate task of sewing on the new reinforcements by hand. This is really not easy at a boat speed of 21 knots, when the boat is bucking over the waves and they are in the foredeck. But they did a great job. We were able to set sail again early in the morning."

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The latest symbolic image of the cold that the teams have to contend with at the 53rd parallel. Here's a look into the rear of Mapfre - and at the chasers in the Spaniards' rear watersPhoto: VOR The latest symbolic image of the cold that the teams have to contend with at the 53rd parallel. Here's a look into the rear of Mapfre - and at the chasers in the Spaniards' rear waters
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Tatjana Pokorny

Tatjana Pokorny

Sports reporter

Tatjana “tati” Pokorny is the author of nine books. As a reporter for Europe's leading sailing magazine YACHT, she also works as a correspondent for the German Press Agency (DPA), the Hamburger Abendblatt and other national and international media. In summer 2024, Tatjana will be reporting from Marseille on her ninth consecutive Olympic Games. Other core topics have been the America's Cup since 1992, the Ocean Race since 1993, the Vendée Globe and other national and international regattas and their protagonists. Favorite discipline: Portraits of and interviews with sailing personalities. When she started out in sports journalism, she was still intensively involved with basketball and other sports, but sailing quickly became her main focus. The reason? The declared optimist says: “There is no other sport like it, no other sport with such interesting and intelligent personalities, no other sport so diverse, no other sport so full of energy, strength and ideas. Sailing is like a constantly refreshing declaration of love for life."

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