As Bouwe Bekking and his team onboard third placed movistar struggled with the hydraulics on their canting keel ram, which was damaged yesterday, a brilliant plan was devised. Australian crewman, Chris Nicholson suggested that the crew should try and fix the ram with other bolts and hope that the seals inside would not be too damaged.

In the dark, with one team sailing the boat, the remaining few got to work. Bekking explains the process, “Not only did the ram have to be taken out, but the water-maker as well. Plus the so-called wet box had to be opened, to reach the clevis pin. You have to disconnect the ram from the keel head, otherwise you can’t get the ram out, but this means water can freely run into the boat. You try to fix one problem, and you open another can of worms. And of course like always, pitch dark outside, so even darker inside movistar.

“The jury repairs went ok, but we are in need of more serious size bolts. Oh, yes, all is well onboard movistar; we can still laugh, but need to have a word with some engineers!!”

Elsewhere in the Volvo Ocean Race fleet, ABN AMRO ONE (Mike Sanderson), who has held a substantial lead in this leg, has had his worse fears realised as ABN AMRO TWO (Sebastien Josse) has overtaken them and now lead by seven nautical miles. Movistar, who is now back up to speed, is breathing down Sanderson’s neck, just five miles astern, while the pirates onboard the Black Pearl (Paul Cayard) are closing quickly, gaining 20 nm in the last six hours.

The leading three boats have now made the crucial turn to the north east and are 320 nm from the second scoring gate at Eclipse Island where the second set of points on offer for this leg can be won. This island lies just 1.5 miles off Albany on the South West corner of Western Australia.

Share or bookmark this story: