Charlie Enright's US team considered interrupting the Ocean Race royal stage for a repair stop, but will continue the race for the time being. The 11th Hour Racing Team was severely tested right from the start on the mammoth section from Cape Town to Itajaí. The series of breakages had already begun on the start day with broken bar end fittings. In the second week of the race, the team had to replace its cracked starboard rudder, but then set a new 24-hour record. Now the mainsail of the "Mālama" has given in to the constant pressure.
"It's quite difficult to repair the damage on board. Almost impossible, I think ..."
A huge tear in the mainsail is giving skipper Charlie Enright, navigator Simon "Sifi" Fisher, Jack Bouttell and Justine Mettraux in the 11th Hour Racing team a hard time. "The front structural part of reef 1 is completely torn off, so we've switched to reef 2. Because of the tear, we can't sail with a full mainsail or the first reef," said Jack Bouttell, explaining the tense situation for his crew in the 14th The Ocean Race. He immediately added the bad news: "It's quite difficult to repair the damage on board. Almost impossible, I think, because the sail structure is broken in the high-load area of the first reef. This leg feels pretty painful at the moment."
After more detailed analysis and consultation with the technical team on land, skipper Charlie Enright provided information about the current situation on board the "Mālama": "We have just stopped, recorded and assessed the damage. As a group, we have made the decision to take the boat to Brazil to get it back on track."
"We decided as a team to take the boat to Brazil"
Enright continued: "We considered a stopover in New Zealand or Tasmania, but ultimately decided it was safe to continue. We'll see what the future holds ... As a crew we have to embark on one of life's last great adventures. We are a team and we will get this boat to Brazil. That's the big goal from now on."
Boris Herrmann's Malizia team is also struggling with stress damage on board. While in week two it was a burst titanium ring on the deck fitting of the J3 and the alternator that forced Boris Herrmann and Will Harris into a 20-hour repair marathon with only short breaks, the crew recently had to deal with the loosened attachment of the hydraulic cylinder on the foil box. "It took us about eight hours to solve the problem," said Boris Herrmann. However, his team was still able to put the pedal to the metal.
The lists of damage are long
In the early stages of stage "3 B", as Herrmann calls the second half of the queen stage, Team Malizia has reduced the gap to the leader "Holcim - PRB" to around 100 nautical miles. "It makes me happy to see how fast the boat is sailing now. We wanted to turn round at the start of the leg with the damage to the mast. Now we are strong at the start of the second half of the leg, sailing past New Zealand and then aiming to conquer the Pacific."
"Malizia - Seaexplorer" is chasing the frontrunner "Holcim - PRB". The team on the flagship boat of this 14th edition of the Ocean Race is also struggling with technical problems. Just a few days ago, British sailor Abby Ehler compiled a list of damages for "Holcim - PRB" during her fourth circumnavigation. The problems ranged from starter problems with the generator to the rudder, which presumably shot up after a collision but showed no signs of damage, to a burning solar panel.
A solar panel burned on "Holcim - PRB"
Abby Ehler reported that the fire could be extinguished - mainly due to the water constantly coming over the deck. A leak in the keel system's oil tank was under control. The crew just had to keep an eye on it and keep topping up the oil. Experienced technician Abby Ehler has not lost her British sense of humour about the trials: "The worst thing is the AirPods, which go out every time you fall into a wave."
Here, Charlie Enright reports on the challenges his team is currently facing:
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
