credit: Ainhoa Sanchez/w-w-i.com
During the leg, the second of five that make up the VELUX 5 OCEANS, Brad sailed 7,682 nautical miles in 30 days, nine hours and 49 minutes at an average speed of 10.53 knots. His win earns him the maximum 12 points and places him firmly at the top of the VELUX 5 OCEANS leaderboard after two ocean sprints.
With 40-knot winds whipping through Wellington Harbour Brad blasted across the finish line on Le Pingouin at 7.49am local time (6.49pm UTC) as the sun rose over the city. Cheers went up from the waiting crowds as, with the help of his shore crew, Brad docked alongside Queens Wharf in the heart of the city at around 10am. First in line to welcome the victorious skipper were his wife Meaghan and children Tate, 8, and Wyatt, 6.
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Brad said as he stepped off Le Pingouin onto dry land for the first time in a month. “It’s really good to be here. I’ve now done five southern ocean legs and this one was by far the hardest. The weather we experienced was different to any other I have ever seen down there. The leg started with a delay and then took a long longer than anyone expected – it’s been an unbelievable challenge. The hardest part was missing Christmas with my kids and the best part is without a doubt arriving in Wellington.”
Ocean sprint two has seen some of the closest racing in the VELUX 5 OCEANS so far with positions changing frequently as the fleet battled through the huge winds and mountainous seas that characterise the bleak Southern Ocean leg. After opting to sail up the east coast of New Zealand, Polish skipper Zbigniew ‘Gutek’ Gutkowski is due to arrive in Wellington tomorrow followed closely by Canadian ocean racer Derek Hatfield who has taken a westerly route through the Tasman Sea similar to the one taken by Brad.
“This was a really close leg,” Brad added. “What was really neat from a competition point of view was that it was so close. For a small fleet it’s great to have such competitive racing. The four of us really have become fierce competitors. I’m happy to have a chunk of a lead because Gutek and the others are getting determined!”
GUTEK TAKES SECOND IN VELUX 5 OCEANS SPRINT TWOPolish skipper gives all in gruelling Southern Ocean leg POLISH solo sailor Zbigniew Gutkowski crossed the VELUX 5 OCEANS sprint two finish line after exactly a month at sea to claim second place. In an adrenaline-fuelled race the 36-year-old from Gdansk, known as Gutek, arrived in Wellington, New Zealand, less than 24 hours behind leg winner Brad Van Liew.
Gutek sailed across the finish line on his 60ft Eco 60 yacht Operon Racing at 6.27am local time (5.27pm UTC) as the sun rose over the city before berthing in Queens Wharf at around 8.30pm to the cheers of watching crowds. It brought an end to a gruelling Southern Ocean leg which saw him overcome huge waves and strong winds despite major problems with his autopilot, the electronic system used to steer the boat. During ocean sprint two Gutek sailed 7,753 nautical miles at an average speed of 10.3 knots.
“I’m really happy to be on dry land, alive and in one piece,” Gutek said as he stepped off Operon Racing. “The boat is also in one piece too which is great considering I have spent more than three weeks with major problems with my autopilot. There is a big difference between the Southern Ocean and the Atlantic. The Southern Ocean is no joke. There are monstrous waves and huge gusts – 50 knots is normal. If you make one mistake you could lose your mast or even your life. For the first time in my life I was scared, and I took a real battering in this leg.”
Ocean sprint two has seen some of the closest racing in the VELUX 5 OCEANS so far with positions changing frequently as the fleet battled through the huge winds and mountainous seas that characterise the bleak Southern Ocean leg. Gutek held the lead for a number of days over Christmas before being overtaken by Brad. A bold tactical decision to sail up the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island saw Gutek make up hundreds of miles on his race rivals.
Among the crowds waiting to welcome Gutek to Wellington was his wife Eliza and their 11-yearold daughter Zusanna. Gutek added: “I haven’t seen my daughter since I left La Rochelle back in October and just in two months she has changed so much. Seeing Zusanna and my wife again is an absolute pleasure.”
For second place Gutek is awarded ten points which are added to the points he won for taking second in the first ocean sprint from La Rochelle, France, to Cape Town.
Ocean sprint two positions at 18h00 UTC:
Brad Van Liew, Le Pingouin: finished January 16, 30 days, nine hours, 49 mins
Zbigniew Gutkowski, Operon Racing: finished January 17, 31 days 8 hours and 27 mins
FromVelux 5 Oceans
