It was a matter of sheer survival. With wind peaks of 60 knots and waves up to ten metres high being served up by the Southern Ocean, nobody really thought about boat speed any more. Close your eyes and keep going was often the only tactic. The video footage of Telefonica, which was hit hard twice, shows what it looks like when you get the full brunt of such conditions. The sailors on deck are tossed around like dolls and only survived because they are on a leash. They cling on with the strength of desperation, even steering on their knees just to avoid a patent jibe.
However, Camper was hit the hardest: the bulkhead that was broken at the start of the leg, which had previously been repaired in a makeshift manner, broke again. After Sanya, this is the second failure of a boat that was in the lead. "This is the Southern Ocean," commented watch leader Stu Bannatyne laconically. "Shit happens." But there was to be no happy ending. Because they ran out of repair materials, the Kiwis are now forced to write off the leg and head for Puerto Montt on the west coast of Chile. It's 2500 long miles to get there, which they have to cover with their battered vehicle. "Seamanship has won out, enough is enough," skipper Chris Nicholson summarised the event with disappointment. He estimates that the repairs in the harbour will take three days before they can think about sailing on. However, he added that they definitely wanted to reach their destination in Brazil under their own steam.
Telefonica is currently in third place and is travelling with the handbrake on. "The ship would also do 30 knots," comments skipper Iker Martínez. "But probably only for ten minutes before it breaks up. That's why we're only travelling at 18 to 20 knots". The main aim is to protect the boat and crew. "The southern ocean makes you a better sailor. And that's how we'll make it to Brazil." The Spaniards' strategy is focussed on overall victory, which is why they are keen to collect podium places and stay fit for the second half of the race. At the current stage, they remain just ahead. But that is far too early a calculation, as there are still almost 3,800 miles to the finish and Cape Horn is still there.
At the moment, Franck Cammas and Groupama are the fastest survivors, having thrown out a reef. The French are around 50 miles ahead of Puma, which has made good progress so far with luck and well-dosed sailing. "It's going well for us, as well as can be expected under the circumstances," says skipper Ken Read. They have been lucky, says Read, because the boat has always caught itself when it gets out of control. "These boats can easily get away from you if you don't rein them in in time."
While Sanya slowly approaches Auckland, where the boat will be repaired and then loaded onto a freighter to Brazil, Abu Dhabi sails peacefully and lonely in light winds, 1100 miles behind Groupama. They don't need to be in a hurry as they have already completed their pit stop and, if nothing bad happens to them, should at least finish 4th on this leg. It would be their best result in this race.
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The extreme as everyday life in the Southern Ocean
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