05.12.2004
www.conradhumphreys.com
HELLOMOTO Race Update No. 21, 051204
HELLOMOTO headS FOR SHELTER
Conrad to replace rudder alone to stay in the race
Elapsed Time: 28 days, 0 hours, 46 mins
Fleet Leader: Bonduelle (J Le Cam FRA)
HELLOMOTO: 13th out of 20, 280m west of Cape Town sailing at 9 knots on 058 (NE) heading
• Yesterday at 1510 GMT, HELLOMOTO hit an unidentified floating object (UFO) whilst going along at 15 knots boat speed on port tack heading 130 (SE) in 35 knots of wind from the north 430m west of Cape Town.
• Today, Conrad gives us his reactions in full to the incident; his immediate responses in order to secure the boat and then his plan of action with his shore team to find a sheltered area of water and effect the rudder replacement on his own, which has never been done before, as his only way to stay in the race. Simonstown, Hout Bay and Cape Town are the 3 options being researched by the shore team…
• See below the interview a full explanation of the 3m long rudder and how it slots into the hull through two sets of spherical bearings
• Media: Full audio of the interview with Conrad this morning is available to listen to and download from www.windreport.com/vguk or on www.o6t.com click on latest news and follow the link to the 051204 audio on the RHS
• Broadcasters: please contact Ollie Dewar/Richard Simmonds at APP Broadcast for VNR material including onboard video footage & Net Meeting from this incident: +44 (0)208 964 4992 / odewar@appbroadcast.com / rsimmonds@appbroadcast.com
Conrad Humphreys interview from onboard HELLOMOTO this morning courtesy of Geolink/Iridium:
“I was in the cabin on the phone to my shore manager Joff Brown talking about the chafe on the cap shrouds, HELLOMOTO was surfing at high speeds of 15 – 17 knots in 40 knots of breeze and big breaking seas when we hit something in the water. The boat came to a shuddering stop. It was definitely a solid lump and not mammal-like, and my first thought was that the keel was going to come through the bottom of the boat as I was thrown against the nav station. The boat bore hard away, lurched violently and was heading into a crash gybe; the boom was in danger of swinging across the cockpit and smashing against the runner, which could have led to the runner breaking as well as one or more indexsail battens.
“I ran out on deck, switched the autopilot off and took the helm to prevent the boat from crash gybing, even then the indexsail battens were twisted in an ‘s’ shape and one of them broke. I found I could hardly steer, there was a lot of lee helm, so I switched the pilot back on. I got the indexsail fully down and then the immediate priority was to check the watertight compartments to be sure there were no leaks. Then I saw at the back of the boat that the 350mm false tip had came away and one side of the laminate on the rudder was hanging off the back. I checked the keel as well in case there was any noticeable delamination there.
“When the boat was safe and under control I climbed out the fore hatch and put up the headsail whilst the pilot was steering course. I’ve been checking the watertight compartments every 15 minutes, there’s no leak so the starboard rudder stock is fine although the blade itself is knackered. The rudder took the full impact of the hit and I’ve got about ½ metre left and am able to steer with it.
“Then I racked my brains as to what to do. I have a full spare rudder which can slot into either side but it’s never been done before and I have to attempt this on my own. I have three places I could go to find a calm and enclosed area of water. I need to remove the old rudder stock first and then it’s a complicated process which my shore manager Joff is working on to try and sink the spare rudder with the anchor and chain, then drop over the side to mouse a line through the stock out of the boat and up on deck. It’ll be like doing a Lucky Dip trying to fish the rudder, pull it up through the bearings. The trouble is that if there is any swell and the rudder turns whilst I’m doing this it could damage the bearings but I have to try.
“I’m 280m from Cape Town going along at 9 knots and my ETA is for tomorrow afternoon right now. I have three options to come in close to Cape Town or Hout Bay on the Atlantic side, or Simonstown which is on the east side of Cape Point. If I can change the rudder then I am confident that I can continue in the race. My aim is to get back into the race and this is the only way I can do it.”
Notes on the rudder: HELLOMOTO has two 3m long rudders that are fitted on either side of the stern under the hull through 2 sets of spherical bearings at water and deck level. There is a 350mm ‘false tip’ at the end which comes away in the event of something hitting the bottom of the rudder without damaging the rudder blade itself. The blade has a foam core with a carbon skin. It is one side of the carbon skin which has peeled off in this collision. The rudder stock is the part of the rudder which sits in the spherical bearings inside the boat. The weight of one rudder is approx. 30 kilos which is like holding a bag of cement – but Conrad has to manoeuvre this 10ft long appendage both lowering it from the deck and pushing it up through the bearings in the water.
HELLOMOTO Ranking* polled at 0830 GMT
Ranking / Boat / Latitude / Longitude / heading / Speed** / DTF*** / Miles from leader
13. HELLOMOTO / 34 08.24' S / 12 54.80' E / 058 / 10.2 / 17609.8 / 1757.5
*Rankings – A series of waypoints marking a logical route have been used to calculate the rankings. The boat is ranked according to the waypoint it is nearest to.
**Speed - this is an instantaneous reading
***DTF (Distance to finish) - This is worked out in comparison to the logical route
Full rankings – launch Race Console off the homepage and click on link to fleet positions
ENDS
Media enquiries: Mary Ambler
Communications Manager – Motorola Ocean Racing Team – Open 60 HELLOMOTO
Email: mary@o6t.com - Tel: +44 (0) 1752 600111 - Mob: +44 (0) 7887 643583
Motorola Ocean Racing Team web site
www.conradhumphreys.com – for all sports & news media enquiries & resources
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