Yachts & Yachting — March 2018

Spindriftlosesherrig

Having been on standby since November 2017 for an attempt at

the Jules Verne Trophy for fastest cicumnavigation of the globe, the

Spindrift team finally found a weather window this month.

Initially the team set out on 6 January into what they thought

was a good opportunity, but it quickly became apparent the wind

was not as predicted and a week later looked better, so Spindrift

returned to Ouessant to wait. At issue was that January typically

marks the last chance of the winter for a successful record attempt.

On the team’s second attempt on 16 January, disaster struck and

the giant trimaran lost its mast just off the coast of France, while

still en route to the start – speculation at present is of rigging failure.

“We have been waiting for two months for this new attempt on

the Jules Verne Trophy: this window was our last chance. It is a big

disappointment for the whole team,” said skipper, Yann Guichard.

NEWS

DramaforVORinHongKong

AINHOA SANCHZ/VOLVO OCEAN RACE; B STICHELBAUT/SPINDRIFT RACING

As we go to press Vestas 11th Hour Racing is

working to get its holed boat back on the water

in the Volvo Ocean Race, but has been forced to

miss the sprint from Hong Kong to Guangzhou

and back, starting 1 February.

The damage came during the evening of

Friday 19 January on the team’s approach to the

finish of a racing leg from Melbourne to Hong

Kong. Vestas collided with a Chinese fishing

boat, resulting in the death of a member of

the fishing boat crew.

The Vestas 11th Hour Racing team, none of

whom was injured in the collision, issued a

Mayday distress call on behalf of the other

vessel, alerting the Hong Kong Marine Rescue

Coordination Centre (HKMRCC), and undertook

a search and rescue mission. HKMRCC informed

Race Control that a commercial vessel in the

area was able to rescue nine of the crew and

that a 10th crew member was taken by

helicopter to hospital, who later passed away.

The collision is the second major incident for a

Vestas backed boat in the race after its entry in

the previous edition grounded on an atol.

6 Yachts & Yachting March 2018