Volvo Ocean Race, Bouwe Bekking: “E’ un disastro”

Volvo Ocean Race – Marstrand – Ci sono volute due ore per liberare Telefonica Blue dagli scogli in cui ha impattato poche ore dopo il via della nona tappa dell Volvo Ocean Race. Lo scafo di Bouwe Bekking è stato trainato in porto, dove è stato alato per verificare il reale stato delle cose.

Bekking, che già non era riuscito a concludere il precedente giro del mondo a causa dell’affondamento del suo Telefonica Movistar, aveva già subito un sinistro del genere alla vigilia della partenza da Qingdao. In quella occasione Telefonica Blue era finita contro uno scoglio in prossimità della linea di partenza.

“Stavamo navigando sotto Code Zero e staysail, poco dopo aver passato la boa di disimpegno. Viaggiavamo a 16-17 nodi e abbiamo impattato contro uno scoglio. E’ stato un nostro errore: non possiamo chiamare in causa un problema di cartografia. Pensavamo di essere sottovento alla secca e invece ci siamo finiti dentro in pieno. La nostra sorte stava per toccare anche a Puma, ma quando hanno visto noi finire incagliati hanno poggiato con decisione e si sono salvati. Qui non si tratta di sfortuna, è stato un errore”.

La prima conta dei danni ha dato un esito preoccupante: “Non siamo messi bene, affatto. Abbiamo imbarcato acqua dalla scassa di uno dei daggerboard. Abbiamo rotto un timone e dobbiamo ancora verificare come stanno il bulbo e la lama di deriva. L’unica consolazione riguarda la robustezza della barca: una qualsiasi unità, con un impatto del genere, avrebbe perso il bulbo. I VOR 70 sono davvero solidi: bisogna ringraziare le regole di classe”.

“Inutile dire che siamo tutti dispiaciuti e che il più a terra di tutti è Simon Fisher. Non so quante volte abbia chiesto scusa. Ma è così che va: siamo un team e risorgeremo. Anche se in questa tappa sarà difficile portare a casa punti, torneremo all’attacco e cercheremo di creare quanti più grattacapi possibile a Kean Read e ai suoi uomini”.

Volvo Ocean Race, leg 9, day 1
1. Il Mostro, K.Read, DTF 330 nm
2. Ericsson 4, T.Grael, +0 nm
3. Ericsson 3, M.Olsson, +2 nm
4. Telefonica Black, F.Echavarri, +3 nm
5. Green Dragon, I.Walker, +7 nm
6. Team Delta Lloyd, R.Bermudez, +8 nm

VOLVO OCEAN RACE, BOUWE BEKKING: “IT’S A DISASTER”
[Volvo Ocean Race Press Release] Telefonica Blue ran aground on a rock shortly after the start of Leg 9 in Marstrand and has since served a two-hour penalty for suspending racing.

In fact, it took the crew two hours to free the stricken boat with the help of pliot vessels and support craft.

Bouwe Bekking and his men have returned to Marstrand to have the boat hauled out for a full assessment of the damage.

Bekking, who’s boat suffered a similar mishap at the start of Leg 5 out of Qingdao, was understandably crestfallen by the setback. He explained what happened.

“We were sailing along under a Code Zero and a staysail and we had cleared the leeward mark by roughly two miles, doing about 16-17 knots and basically hit a rock straight on,” he said.

Asked whether the incident, a collision with a 1.5 metre rock, was down to a charting problem, he added: “It is clearly our own mistake of course, we thought we were to leeward [of the rock] and clear of it and we smacked it right on the head.

“In that sense Puma was right behind us and had a to make a big alteration of course as well. S*!t happens but it shouldn’t happen but … clearly a mistake.”

As for the damage, Bekking said that was unclear until a full inspection had been made though they did take on water following damage to the port daggerboard. Early indications are not encouraging.

“It doesn’t look that good. We took quite a lot of water on board. The canard has been pushed through the daggerboard case which is where all the water was coming in from. We just have to assess the rest of the damage. We can see that we broke one of the rudders off. We have to see how the bulb will look and the keel. The good thing is that the keel is still there so the boats are very very strong. If you hit at 25-30 kph normally a boat would sink so thank you Volvo for a good rule.”

As for the lengthy battle to free the boat from the rock, Bekking added: “We tried different options, we pulled a winch off, the co-ordination is always very difficult. We have to thank the Coast Guard, the pilots and the police here, they have been really really helpful. They managed to pull us off and get us safely to the harbour so a big thanks to them.”

In the short term, there is no prospect of points on this leg. And in looking ahead, if the damage is as severe as is suggested, it may be game over in the battle with Puma for second place overall.

“Yes of course it is a disaster and everybody realises that. The most sad person is SciFi [Simon Fisher]. I don’t know how many thousand times he has said sorry. That’s how it is, we are a team we will come on top of it again. Yeah, most likely second place is gone.”

Volvo Ocean Race, leg 9, day 1
1. Il Mostro, K.Read, DTF 330 nm
2. Ericsson 4, T.Grael, +0 nm
3. Ericsson 3, M.Olsson, +2 nm
4. Telefonica Black, F.Echavarri, +3 nm
5. Green Dragon, I.Walker, +7 nm
6. Team Delta Lloyd, R.Bermudez, +8 nm

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