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Volvo Ocean Race 2014/15 - Leg2 - Kapstadt - Abu Dhabi
www.volvooceanrace.com - Übersicht
Fotogalerie Leg 2>
30th November 2014
“VERY SAD NEWS” AS TEAM VESTAS WIND GROUNDS ON REEF AND CREW ABANDON YACHT
What happened to Team Vestas Wind is an example of how risky ocean racing can be for both man and machine. Thankfully Race Control has confirmed that the crew has now been rescued and will stay on the Íle du Sud, where there is a house and some facilities. All the crew are safe and nobody is injured. However this is the kind of incident that is always hard for other teams to digest, as there is always the lingering thought of ‘it could have happened to any one of us.’
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Vestas Wind auf Grund
Foto: Team Vestas Wind
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Devastin?g image ?of Vesta?s ground?ed (Imag?e credit?: Amory ?Ross / T?eam Alvi?medica)
Moments like this are all too familiar for experienced sailors such as Kevin Escoffier and Charles Caudrelier but under no circumstances does it make the news any easier to digest.
“You know I made this mistake once, sailing really close to the British shore, it was my stupid mistake. But offshore like this, in the middle of nowhere it’s so difficult. On our chart there is a small blue part [that marks depth less than 200m] but honestly, if you don’t go to the maximum of the zoom you wouldn’t even know that the reef is there. It was only because I spent hours checking this two days ago that I noticed it. It had taken me a long time to find it. We don’t know what happened onboard Vestas but it would not be hard to miss this on the chart. What happened is terrible, terrible for them and the race.” Charles Caudrelier experienced a fair few breakages during the last Volvo Ocean Race with Groupama and knows exactly how difficult it is to be on the received end of such misfortune.
“It’s so sad for them and so sad for the race,” says Kevin Escoffier. “I can’t help but imagine if that was me and it was our boat, ah, it’s so sad. So, so sad.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFQ72tePdUs&list=UUGCGBd7AyJsjPqok9W8e39Q
Video of? Kevin E?scoffier? and Cha?rles Cau?drelier'?s reacti?ons
The news was also a bit of a reality check for Chinese sailor Liu Xue (Black) “I just learnt about Vestas, they told me everyone is ok but they have seriously damaged their boat. It’s so sad because it’s all the team, the shore team, the sponsors, the sailors. It’s everyone’s hard work and training that has been lost in just a few minutes. I feel sorry for all of them and all of their fans, I wish they could continue this leg.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfns_q81R7Q&list=UUGCGBd7AyJsjPqok9W8e39Q
Message ?from Liu? Xue (Bl?ack) to ?Team Ves?tas sail?ors, sho?re crew,? sponsor?s and fa?ns
Onboard Reporter Yann Riou also described the reaction onboard:
“Beautiful islands in the middle of nowhere, but right in the middle of our route!” (Charles)
That was the reflection of Charles Caudrelier just after passing the Cargados archipaeligo. Shortly after we gybed, a bit later than our closest rivals, right at the time of the big wind shift, but without anticipating that this shift would be so strong that it would take us on to a direct route to the island. A little moment of hesitation during which we posed the question which side to pass. « A small navigation error which cost us 2 to 3 miles ». It could have been worse.
Charles had noticed this archipaeligo a few days ago. But its worth noting that its actually pretty hard to find. In fact, to see it on our electronic charts, you have to zoom right in on top of it. But how and why would you zoom in to it if you don’t know its there in the first place ? So whilst we don’t know exactly what happened on Vestas, we can imagine how it happened. In any case its been a big shock for us to hear the news. Its still hard to believe its happened. At least no-one was hurt. But for sure its a very bad news. For Vestas and the race.
It will take some time for the determined men on Dongfeng, and on all the other teams too, to digest this drama – and whilst the race continues at full intensity at the front of the fleet with Dongfeng now in 3rd place, this will stick in everyone’s minds all the way to Abu Dhabi. But it won’t stop the race – and right now the Spanish, with a new French navigator onboard called Jean-Luc Nélias, very well known to our own French sailors, is playing a big hand as MAPFRE make a radical move splitting from the fleet, trying to find another way around the huge wind hole appearing ahead of the leaders. Only a Frenchman like Jean-Luc would probably take such a gamble to split from the fleet, as we’ve seen perhaps the opposite tactic of what Abu Dhabi Skipper Ian Walker earlier this leg as he sailed back to re-join the fleet. It will be many days before we know who is right.
Team Alv?imedia o?n stand ?by to as?sist Ves?tas (Ima?ge credi?t: Amory? Ross / ?Team Alv?imedica)
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