Sailing: Knights of the seas ready for Southern Ocean joust
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Last-minute checks to sails and a wary eye on an approaching weather front kept crews of the nine remaining yachts in the Whitbread Round The World Race busy in Cape Town yesterday before the start of the second leg to Fremantle.
Today the fleet sets out on the toughest of the nine legs - a 4,600-mile dash across the daunting Southern Ocean, which is expected to take half the time of the 30-day first leg.
"The pressure is really on and the sail development programme never sleeps," said Kevin Shoebridge, the watch captain on the second-placed Merit Cup, who will be taking two, new specialist sails, as well as a heavier mainsail.
Paul Cayard won the 7,350-mile leg from Southampton in Sweden's EF Language, but is still "respectful of the fact that we are basically Whitbread novices".
"I think the first leg was a bit of an anomaly and the margin by which we won was unusual," he said. "Leg two will be quite different. I suspect the boats will stay much closer together."
The man most likely to challenge Cayard, Britain's Lawrie Smith, was also playing a cagey game, saying, on the one hand, "yes, we will be sailing conservatively" and on the other that Silk Cut "will be flying".
Smith fully expects to improve on his fourth position. "We've spent a lot of time developing sails for the Southern Ocean," he said, "and I'm confident we've the sails and the hull to be at the front this time."
The last-placed boat, Brunel Sunergy, which had to put in to Brazil on the first leg after a collision with a whale damaged her rudder, has picked up a new navigator, Stuart Quarrie.
Moderate to strong winds are forecast for the start in Table Bay. The fleet - minus America's Challenge who ran out of money after reaching Cape Town - will head down the coast and past the Cape of Good Hope before heading for Australia.
- Stuart Alexander
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments