Four boats in the Volvo Ocean Race celebrated rounding the venerated landmark of Cape Horn on Monday, a pleasure cruelly denied Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier\/FRA) after the Chinese boat\u2019s mast was broken early in a dramatic day on Leg 5 (full story below).<\/p>\n
– Team Alvimedica has honour of passing key landmark first<\/p>\n
– Dongfeng Race Team halted in tracks after breaking mast<\/p>\n
– See the dramatic moment when the Chinese boat\u2019s mast snaps<\/p>\n
ALICANTE, Spain, March 30 \u2013 Four boats in the Volvo Ocean Race celebrated rounding the venerated landmark of Cape Horn on Monday, a pleasure cruelly denied Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier\/FRA) after the Chinese boat\u2019s mast was broken early in a dramatic day on Leg 5.<\/p>\n
Team Alvimedica (Charlie Enright\/USA) had the considerable honour of leading the battered fleet past the fabled point at 1407 GMT, just 15 minutes clear of overall race leaders Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (Ian Walker\/GBR).<\/p>\n
MAPFRE (Iker Mart\u00ednez\/ESP) and Team Brunel (Bouwe Bekking\/NED) were hot on their heels as the fleet prepared to head north at last and back in to the Atlantic for the first time since November.<\/p>\n
They still have quite a challenge in store, navigating up the Brazilian coast towards the final Leg 5 destination of Itaja\u00ed, which they will reach after 6,770 nautical miles (nm) of the most testing sailing in the nine-month offshore marathon around April 5-6.<\/p>\n
For Team Alvimedica\u2019s 30-year-old skipper Enright, it was the culmination of an eight-year dream, which first took shape on the film set of Disney movie, Morning Light, when he hatched the idea of entering a team in sailing\u2019s leading challenge.<\/p>\n
There are no points on offer for leading the Volvo Ocean Race fleet around Cape Horn, but so much kudos.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, most of this race is about competition, but this leg is a little bit different. This is pretty special for us,\u201d said Enright of Bristol, Rhode Island, by far the youngest skipper in the fleet.<\/p>\n
But this was no time for lengthy celebrations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can see Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing behind. The match racing continues. Keep the focus!\u201d<\/p>\n
Walker, who has so far carried out his pre-race battle plan of earning podium places on every leg, was equally buoyant.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just happy to get here safely. That\u2019s the main thing. There is still a long way to go, but it\u2019s a big relief. And it\u2019s an even bigger relief because we\u2019re in good shape,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Emirati boat had just set the fastest 24 hours\u2019 sailing in the race, travelling 551nm. That is the third fastest ever recorded in the 41-year-old race behind ABN AMRO TWO (2006 \u2013 562.96nm) and Ericsson 4 (2008 – 596.6nm).<\/p>\n
For Dongfeng Race Team, who had started Leg 5 locked on eight points (lowest overall wins) it was a case of \u2018what might have been\u2019 as well as \u2018what next?\u2019.<\/p>\n
At 0315 UTC, the crew were startled by a sickening crack that sent all of them scrambling to deck to check out the damage. The boat\u2019s mast had broken above the third spreader, which robbed it of much of its manoeuvrability.<\/p>\n
The plan is now to nurse Dongfeng to Ushuaia, Argentina, under sail.<\/p>\n
Reached via Inmarsat, a bitterly disappointed Caudrelier said: \u201cI\u2019m gutted. As you\u2019ve seen from the position reports we have been, on purpose, backing off a bit, not attacking in any way.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe mast broke without warning in about 30 knots of wind. We are unable to sail safely on starboard tack, but we are able to make reasonable speed on port tack. We will head towards Ushuaia and assess our options for getting to Itaja\u00ed.”<\/p>\n
He could retire from the leg, but if a patched-up boat can be returned to the Leg 5 track and complete the stage to Itaja\u00ed, Caudrelier will earn an extra two points \u2013 six for sixth and last place instead of eight for not finishing at all.<\/p>\n
That could make all the difference come the end of the 38,739nm race in Gothenburg, Sweden, on June 27, especially with Dongfeng Race Team currently so close to the lead.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Team SCA (Sam Davies\/GBR) were continuing to battle their way through heinous conditions in the Southern Ocean, some 550nm behind the pack still racing.<\/p>\n
They have been considerably hampered by damage to their fractional code zero sail after a Chinese gybe last week sent the boat crashing on its side.<\/p>\n
Davies\u2019s crew are expected to round Cape Horn in the early hours (GMT) on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t take any more risk with the sails that are left because we need them on the way from Cape Horn to Itaja\u00ed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Caudrelier will understand her caution. Completely.<\/p>\n
via Drama \u2013 and delight – round the Horn| Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Four boats in the Volvo Ocean Race celebrated rounding the venerated landmark of Cape Horn on Monday, a pleasure cruelly denied Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier\/FRA) after the Chinese boat\u2019s mast was broken early in a dramatic day on Leg … Continue reading