Oceanracing 2002 - Around Alone

Empfänger: redaktion@segel.de
Datum: 01. Nov 2002 18:47

TISCALI TO REJOIN THE RACE
When a mast comes crashing down it bring with it not only the rigging and sails, but it also brings with it the hopes and dreams of the skipper as well. When the tall carbon spar on Open 60 Tiscali buckled and dropped into the cold Atlantic ocean 12 days ago, Simone Bianchetti, the Italian skipper of Tiscali, saw his dream of winning the Around Alone drop with the crumbled carbon. There seemed little hope that he could recover from a disaster like that. This was the second dismasting aboard Tiscali in the past 5 months, the first happened in the Mediterranean during the Regatta de Rubicon earlier in the year, and so the option of a replacement was no longer available. Masts are custom built and engineered for each boat taking into account the stability of the yacht as well as many other factors, so stopping by the local ship store and picking up a new one was not an option.

The Hatherleigh - the Pindar party boat, on a special mission to Spain with Stamms old mast for Tiscali

However, Simone, his sponsor Tiscali, and his shore team were not going to fall at the first hurdle, and instead have shown total determination in their bid to rejoin the race. So began the teamwork to find a replacement mast and get it to the Spanish Military base at Â‘El Ferrol del CaudilloÂ’, to the north east of La Caruna, where Tiscali is now berthed. With the clock still ticking, and the restart date in Cape Town looming large on the calendar, the task ahead was daunting to say the least. While the wheels on land were set in motion, Bianchetti had to cut away all the rigging and sails, plus recuperate the mast pieces onto the deck as they were damaging the hull hanging over the side, and with a heavy heart rigged a jury mast and sailed his yacht to the small sheltered fishing village of Carino on the north coast of Spain. There he was met by Mauro Piani, TiscaliÂ’s shore manager, and together they formulated a plan. Now, 12 days since the rig fell, the new plan is in place and Tiscali have announced that they and Simone will be rejoining the race, and hope to have the boat ready to sail by November 10. The story of how an almost abandoned dream was resurrected is a good one, and it exemplifies the spirit of this event. You see, without the help of two of BianchettiÂ’s fellow competitors, he would not have been able to continue. First came the difficult task of finding a new mast, and discussions with the boatÂ’s designer Marc Lombard began in order to find a solution. That was when Class 1 leader Bernard Stamm got involved. His spare mast was laying in Caen on the north coast of France. Since the two boats were very similar in dimension there was a chance that the mast would fit. The designers and sparmakers were consulted, and it was determined that the mast could be modified to fit could and serve as a suitable rig to get Bianchetti to Cape Town. Race rules state that in order for him to be an official entry in the Around Alone he would have to sail his boat to South Africa. If he shipped the boat he would be disqualified from the event. He wo uld also have to sail the boat alone. Once Simone and Stamm and had worked out an agreement, the sponsor of a third Class 1 competitor, Emma Richards, joined in to help get the mast from France to Spain. Pindar owns a converted North Sea tug by the name of the Â‘HatherleighÂ’, a vessel entirely suitable for transporting a large spar. The Hatherleigh has become a fixture at all offshore yacht races like the Around Alone, Transat Jacques Vabre and the VendÃ©e Globe. It has been a haven where many weary sailors have taken refuge, and indeed many a late light has been spent drinking at the pub on board. The tug is owned by Andrew Pindar, EmmaÂ’s sponsor, and when Andrew heard that Tiscali needed a way to get the mast from France to Spain he immediately stepped forward and offered the Hatherleigh as a transport ship. It was a wonderful gesture in the spirit of the race, and so thatÂ’s whatÂ’s happening. As this is being w ritten the Hatherleigh has arrived at the Spanish military base. The spare mast from Bobst Group/Armor Lux is on board and a 6 strong team in Spain is ready to get it stepped so that Bianchetti can be on his way. There is still a lot of work to do to the boat. A set of sails are being adapted for the replacement mast in Brest, France, and two small holes where the old mast damaged the side of the boat, have to be patched. Now the mast has arrived in Spain there is going to be a mad scramble to get it ready, but if Simone leaves no later than November 10 and has a reasonably fast passage to Cape Town, there is no reason why he would not be ready for Leg 3. He might be tired when he gets there, and the boat may not be in 100 percent condition, but for Simone his dream of winning the Around Alone will still be intact. Because the race is scored on points, his last place finish for this leg will not cripple his chances of a podium finish in Newport. Granted, he will have to sail very well for the rest of the race, but after seeing his hopes crumble a few weeks back, Simone has become so determined to continue, so I would not count him out yet. Stay tuned, we will bring you the progress of the replacement mast as we get it. --- Brian Hancock great.circle@verizon.net