Brunel Takes Time Out For Modifications

The Sunday Age

Sunday February 12, 2006

MICHAEL COULTER

THREE weeks after sailing, or in some cases trucking, into Melbourne, the fleet of the Volvo round-the-world ocean race leaves today for the short leg to Wellington.

Seven boats arrived in Melbourne in various states of repair after an extremely tough trek across the Southern Ocean from Cape Town. Only six will depart, with Australian skipper Grant Wharington's entry withdrawing from at least the next two legs.

Wharington's boat Brunel, sitting last in the race, will be extensively modified before rejoining the event, most likely for the sixth leg in Baltimore.

"We need some time to regroup and finish this race as we hoped we could have started it - at 100 per cent capacity," Wharington said on the race website. "All we needed was some more time and budget, and now Brunel has committed to us as our new title sponsor, we have it. We will ship the boat to Baltimore, perhaps bolster the team with some different crew and come out punching."

Wharington's entry was not the only one to strike trouble on the way to Melbourne. Ericsson had to be brought in on a container ship from South Africa, while Brasil 1 was driven across the Nullarbor after it lost its mast and made it only as far as Western Australia.

But after refitting, repairing and replenishing, the crews will leave in anticipation of a fast crossing to New Zealand, where they will have a few more days' rest before setting off on the longest leg of the race, to Rio de Janiero.

Luke Molloy, one of two Australians on ABN Amro Two, said recent weather forecasts suggested the 24-hour distance record his boat set last month could be under threat already. He was also tipping a much closer finish than in Melbourne.

"This will be more like a sprint race," Molloy said. "Four days in, which is what we're expected to be racing . . . last two legs you could throw a blanket over all the boats.

"Definitely everyone's going to be pushing for every little metre, so it's going to be four days of not a lot of sleep."

The two Amro boats are first and second in the race, but Molloy said that at this stage there was not much rivalry between the older, more experienced Amro One crew and his young crew.

"We're still one team, we definitely work together towards having good results in this race, and at the moment we are, so we'd be pretty crazy not to put the nail in the coffin against the other teams now," he said. "I think you might see towards the end of the race if we're still pretty close and we're still first and second you might see the knives come out."

Molloy, a Queenslander, said the fleet had enjoyed the Melbourne stopover.

VOLVO OCEAN RACE

LEG 3, MELBOURNE TO WELLINGTON

- 1450 nautical miles

- Starts today off Station Pier, Port Melbourne, 1pm

WHERE TO SEE THE START

- FROM LAND vantage points will be at Port Melbourne (including Station Pier) Williamstown, St Kilda, Elwood and Mornington Peninsula foreshores, Point Lonsdale and Point Nepean.

- FROM SEA A 200-metre mobile exclusion zone applies around each yacht on Port Phillip Bay and 50 metres in the Yarra River.

HOW THE BOATS ARE GOING

ABN AMRO ONE 32.5 pts

With two leg wins so far, skipper Mike Sanderson wants to be the first New Zealander into his home country. Forecast early light winds could spell trouble.

ABN AMRO TWO 25 pts

Had one of their worst scores in the Melbourne in-port race in Melbourne, so the young crew (all under 31) will be keen to return to form. Runner-up in both off-shore legs, and holder of record 24-hour run for a monohull yacht.

movistar 18 pts

Pre-race favourites have had no luck so far, despite 20,000 nautical miles at sea before the race. On the up with a third place into Melbourne, and will contend if the wind is light.

Pirates of theCaribbean 16.5 pts

Paul Cayard?s Pirates of the Caribbean is just 1.5 points behind movistar. Had its best result when it finished second in the in-port race. Cayard?s campaign was late to the table and he expects to improve as the race goes on.

Brasil 116 pts

Arrived in Melbourne by truck after losing its mast in the Southern Ocean. Only just fitted new mast in time for the in-port race, where it finished fifth. Still, the Brazilian team is just 0.5 of a point from fourth place.

Ericsson Racing Team 11.5 pts

Won the first in-port race, but nothing has gone right since. Forced to retire from second leg, the crew has worked around the clock to fix the boat.

© 2006 The Sunday Age

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