Chinese boat breaks mast but may continue
Print Edition
DONGFENG Race Team, joint leader of the Volvo Ocean Race, was forced to suspend racing in the fifth leg early yesterday when its mast broke in the middle of the Southern Ocean.
The incident could hardly have happened at a worse position for the Chinese boat, 240 nautical miles from Cape Horn in southern Chile, one of the most remote places on Earth. The breakage in the top section of the mast means that the team cannot properly maneuver the boat. No members of the nine-strong crew on board were injured.
The team originally announced that it would have to quit the leg but now it is investigating whether it can continue after making repairs in Argentina.
“There’s still a possibility we could limp all the way to Brazil — the leg destination — and that way we’d still earn two points. It may make all the difference in the end. We’ll see,” said a team spokesman.
The boat’s French skipper Charles Caudrelier sent a message to his team, saying he was devastated by the breakage.
The team of Chinese rookies had been joint leader of the nine-month, offshore marathon race with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing at the halfway stage.
The team was on its way to Itaja, southeastern Brazil, from Auckland, New Zealand, on the 6,776nm leg when the accident happened. Volvo Ocean Race organizers said they had alerted maritime safety organizations and were doing everything they could to assist the crew.
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