19.01.2001
Team Adventure, after suffering damage overnight
is currently making for Cape Town in South Africa with two injured crewmen aboard.
An hour-by-hour account of the night’s events from the information we have.
It was shortly before 9.00 pm GMT that everything seems to have gone wrong for the Franco-American team led by skipper Cam Lewis. Race HQ then began to receive a series of calls confirming the incident.
Day 18, 6.00 pm GMT, the giant catamaran skippered by Cam Lewis is pursuing a course parallel to that of Club Med, at an average speed of 26 knots – slightly faster than the race leader. 7.00 pm GMT, Team Adventure turns east (087) following Grant Dalton. At this stage, all is well and both boats are making good headway.
At the 9.00 pm GMT position update, the race Directors notice that something odd is
happening. Team Adventure suddenly veers northwards on a bearing of 051,
changing course by more than 30° clearly turning towards Cape Town in South
Africa. At the same time her speed falls to 16 knots.
10.00 pm GMT, the heading is 044. The sudden and worrying change of course is
confirmed. Team Adventure is now down to 15 knots.
10.00 pm GMT, Lydia Langston, Team Adventure’s Project Manager, contacts Race
HQ to confirm that the boat has suffered a delaminating problem that could have
structural consequences.
10.35 pm GMT, Larry Rosenfeld, Team Adventure’s co-navigator also calls Race
HQ to give more details, explaining that they had crashed into a wave.
At 3.21 am GMT, seeing Team Adventure’s change in course, Grant Dalton called
Race HQ from Club Med and expressed concern over the safety of the boat and
the injuries suffered by crew members Mikael Lundh and Jeffrey Wago, who had
been thrown forward by the impact.
At 8.00 am GMT the boat’s designer, Gilles Ollier, informed us of the conversation
he had held during the night with crew member Lionel Lemonchois, who described
the details of the incident: "We had already buried two or three times when we
suddenly came to a jarring halt. Mikael and Jeffrey were thrown very violently
forwards and injured. We then made a full survey of the boat and found that the
fairing of the forward beam had been hit, causing delamination and a smashed
bulkhead.
Shortly afterwards Jean-Yves Chauve, official doctor for The Race, was able to
reassure the race directors with the news that the two injured crew members were on
painkillers and that they would be "examined the moment they arrived in Cape
Town." (cf earlier article giving Dr Jean-Yves Chauve’s comments).
For the time being, Team Adventure does not require assistance. She is making her
own way towards Cape Town, South Africa, where she is expected to arrive on
Sunday evening at the earliest.
Gilles Ollier of Multiplast has been in contact with a local boatyard who will be able to
supply facilities and raw materials.
The rules of The Race state that Team Adventure, currently in second position,
must reindex in port for at least 48 hours before returning to the fray.
"We are concerned by this setback," commented Cam Lewis, "but we are
determined to press on and get back in The Race."
"I am not really worried about the boat," the American skipper went on, "but I want to
make certain my crew is safe and sound."
ME
Translation by LMQV |
