The Ocean Race: "No alternative" - what the foil damage means for Malizia

Will, the sailing world discusses your recent foil problem. When did you discover it and what exactly is the problem?

Will Harris: Yesterday morning (Editorial office: 1 February) carried out a routine check and noticed a thin tear in the starboard foil. So we pulled the foil out a little to inspect the area. We noticed a few other points of minor damage. The aft edge of the foil is starting to come loose, to delaminate a little. This is where it sits in the bearing.

You reinforced your new foils with a few extra layers of laminate before the first stage start. Is this the area where the problems have now arisen?

Yes, it's in this area: at the top of the foils in the foil box, where we reinforced them before the launch. We only fitted one reinforcement. That doesn't seem to be quite enough.

Has the problem worsened since you discovered it?

Not so far. We check them every two hours. We make markings to see if the cracks are getting bigger. So far, that hasn't been the case. And that's a good thing. I think it's because we no longer adjust the foils. If we adjust the foil, it can take further damage. It was good that we recognised it early on. Because if we hadn't seen it, it might have been too late.

What does this mean for boat handling for the rest of the stage?

We can't push the boat as much as we would like. We have to sail with a fairly conservative profile setting. If the wind picks up, we won't overload it. But it doesn't slow us down that much. Sometimes maybe a maximum of five per cent. We can still sail the boat fast. If it stays like this, I'm not worried about our speed. If it stays like this, we can keep going. We have to make sure that the foils remain unloaded. We are in contact with the team ashore to see if there is anything we can do to fix the problem. We really have to keep our fingers crossed that it doesn't get any worse. A repair at sea would be quite difficult.

And if the damage increases?

If we see that it's getting worse, we might have to retract the foil completely. And that will make the race very difficult for us, because obviously almost the whole way to Cape Town will be done with wind from the port side. That's where the damaged starboard foil comes into play.

What if the new foils suffer such severe damage that they are beyond repair? Is there a third pair that could keep you alive in the race, or would you have to end the Ocean Race prematurely?

No, there is no alternative. There is no other set of foils. At the moment, however, the damage to our foil poses no risk to the overall structure. It is only a risk when using the foils. Even if the problem worsens and we have to retract the foil, we can repair it in Cape Town. The structure of the foils should be fine.

Given that you are currently a good 150 nautical miles behind the leaders, do you still believe you have a chance of catching up with the others?

Yes, we believe that. We'll have stronger winds in two days' time. A strong cold front that suits our boat very well. We showed on leg one that we can be very fast in these conditions. I'm also sure that there are some great tactical options. We just have to wait and see what the rest of the fleet does.

The circumstances are challenging on your first assignment as ocean race skipper on board "Malizia - Seaexplorer". Do you still enjoy your job?

Yes, I'm definitely enjoying this role. It's been a tough stage for us so far. We started slowly. And now we have to catch up. I really like the challenges that come with it. I like the responsibility. And I'm looking forward to seeing what we can still achieve by the time we get to Cape Town.

Recently, all the crews have suffered from the heat in the Doldrums. How did you and Team Malizia fare?

In the last three days since we left the Doldrums, the boats have become much more uncomfortable again. Trying to sleep is more difficult again. We have to have our headphones on. It's very loud. The movements of the boat are not so bad at the moment because the waves are quite gentle. It's nice on board, but really very hot. It's quite difficult to deal with the heat. You don't get much air. If you go fast, you have to close the windows and it gets very humid inside. It's like being in a greenhouse.

Can you take a refreshing shower every now and then?

We use the damp clouds for this. There are so many rain clouds. There's a new cloud every ten minutes. Right now, as I'm sitting outside, I'm looking at a rainbow. If you feel like it, you can go outside and take a shower. It's nice, but as soon as you come back in, you're sweaty again.

What temperatures are you experiencing out there?

I think it's around 32 degrees. The water temperature is around 27, 28 degrees. This morning it's starting to get a bit colder, but there's hardly any escape from the heat. When it's windy, you always have to be inside because it's a bit rough on deck ... And when there's no wind, it's just hot. We're looking forward to a bit colder conditions.

When will they arrive?

I think we'll hit a cold front in 24 hours. We hope that this will finally allow us to point our bow in the direction of Cape Town. It feels strange to be on the wrong side of the Atlantic at the moment, pointing in the wrong direction in relation to Cape Town.

Are you planning to sail below the St Helena High to Cape Town, i.e. very deep into the south?

Yes, we will pass under St Helena High. There are various course options. Two of the options would take us as far south as 45°. So we are heading for Cape Town directly into the Southern Ocean. However, we are not yet sure which option we will choose. There is still a lot to do before we reach Cape Town, where very light winds await us all. Anyone could be stopped short of their destination.

Will all the teams opt for a course below St Helena High?

Yes, I think everyone will drive through it. But there are different routes. You can pass very close by or much further south to have more wind. This route would be much longer than we expected. We are already rationing our provisions a little. And we're running out of toilet paper.

How many days did you originally plan for the combined stages 1 and 2, and how many days will it actually be at the end of stage 2?

The original plan for stages 1 and 2 envisaged 21, 22 days in terms of provisions. Now it's more likely to be 24, 25 days in total.

Accordingly, the 4,600 nautical miles theoretically stated for stage two become a lot more in reality on the water?

Yes, in the end it will be around 6,500, I think. So a much longer course. But from tomorrow, the miles will shrink considerably more. Because then we'll be sailing in the right direction.