Volvo Ocean Race: Vestas now repaired

Auckland, New Zealand (March 5, 2018) – After its collision on January 20 near the finish of Leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race, Vestas 11th Hour Racing returned to the water today with a test sail anticipated later this week.

Damage to the bow kept the team from competing in Legs 5 and 6, with the boat shipped from Hong Kong to New Zealand for repairs and preparation for the start of Leg 7.

“It’s been an amazing effort by all involved to get the boat back in the water,” said skipper Charlie Enright. “The coordination between our shore team, The Boatyard, all the suppliers, the stakeholders… A month ago we said we’d be back on the water on this day, and we’ve stuck to the schedule. It’s amazing.

“We still have to haul it out, put it on its keel, put the rig in, put it through its paces… and we’ll be sailing starting on the 7th, which gives us plenty of time ahead of the in-port race on the 10th and for the Leg start on the 18th. So we’re in good shape.”

Additional details from the team… click here.
Summary of the accident… click here.

Leg Distance: The race organizers choose to estimate the tactical distance for each leg rather than list the actual distance, an unusual decision that’s revealed once the race starts and the tracker lists the actual distance to finish. The VOR says Leg 7 from Auckland to Itajaí, BRA is 7600 nm whereas the truth is more like 6700 nm.

Race details – Tracker – Scoreboard – Race route – Facebook – YouTube

Overall Results (after 6 of 11 legs)
1. MAPFRE (ESP), Xabi Fernández (ESP), 39 points
2. Dongfeng Race Team (CHN), Charles Caudrelier (FRA), 34
3. Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag (HKG), David Witt (AUS), 26
4. Team AkzoNobel (NED), Simeon Tienpont (NED), 23
5. Vestas 11th Hour Racing (DEN/USA), Charlie Enright (USA), 23
6. Team Brunel (NED), Bouwe Bekking (NED), 20
7. Turn the Tide on Plastic (POR), Dee Caffari (GBR), 12

2017-18 Edition: Entered Teams – Skippers
• Team AkzoNobel (NED), Simeon Tienpont (NED)
• Dongfeng Race Team (CHN), Charles Caudrelier (FRA)
• MAPFRE (ESP), Xabi Fernández (ESP)
• Vestas 11th Hour Racing (DEN/USA), Charlie Enright (USA)
• Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag (HKG), David Witt (AUS)
• Turn the Tide on Plastic (POR), Dee Caffari (GBR)
• Team Brunel (NED), Bouwe Bekking (NED)

Background: Racing the one design Volvo Ocean 65, the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race begins in Alicante, Spain on October 22 2017 with the final finish in The Hague, Netherlands on June 30 2018. In total, the 11-leg race will visit 12 cities in six continents: Alicante, Lisbon, Cape Town, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Auckland, Itajaí, Newport, Cardiff, Gothenburg, and The Hague. A maximum of eight teams will compete.

Source: Volvo Ocean Race