Dutch Score - Volvo Race Update
Team ABN AMRO were first and second as they rounded the second scoring gate on leg two of the Volvo Ocean Race early this morning. ABN AMRO ONE (Mike Sanderson) picked up his 3.5 points at 0540 GMT with ABN AMRO TWO (Sebastien Josse) following just over an hour later at 0648 GMT.
Movistar (Bouwe Bekking) is now approaching Eclipse Island and is preparing to stop the boat to take on essential equipment in order to secure their damaged keel ram. So far the team has been able to make a successful jury repair, but to complete this satisfactorily, they need some additional equipment.
“Everything has been set up for a short stop at Eclipse Island. The shore crew is already there and they have replacement bolts, O-rings, hydraulic oil etc. with them. The stop shouldn’t take too long and a lot will depend on the sea state around Eclipse Island. If the sea state is too rough, then we will sail to Albany, where movistar can hide behind a big headland,” explained Bekking.
There is a margin of 67 nautical miles between movistar and Pirates of the Caribbean (Paul Cayard) currently in fourth place, which, provided the turn around for movistar is slick, will only halve this lead. The minimum period allowed in the rules for a stop such as this is two hours.
Pirates of the Caribbean had an encounter with a shark yesterday which became caught on the rudder whilst the boat was sailing at 20 – 25 knots. The crew dropped the headsail and did a partial back down of the boat, freeing the unharmed shark quickly. They are 68 nm south of Eclipse Island.
Having rounded Eclipse Island, the two Dutch boats are now sailing to windward and it will be an upwind slog the whole way to the finish, just over 1300 miles away. ABN AMRO TWO is only 13 nautical miles behind Sanderson and his team and is sailing nearly two knots faster.
ING Real Estate Brunel (Grant Wharington) still has just under three day’s sailing ahead of them before they reach Eclipse Island, but the team is in good spirits and maintaining 16 knots average speed.
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