Seventeen days since they were forced to suspend racing with rig damage, Team Sanya have hit the water in Madagascar in preparation to rejoin the Volvo Ocean Race.
After stepping the 31-metre mast yesterday, the team carried out crucial sea trials on their repaired rig today as they gear up to race to the safe haven port to complete the first stage of Leg 2.
“The day we thought would never come has arrived,” said Sanya’s shore team manager Nick Bice, who has masterminded the repair operation.
Bice said the trials had been a success in spite winds of around 25 knots. "The rig was great, and we did as much as we could with the weather we had," he added. "It would have been nice to test the new rigging in less breeze but with the forecast set to build over the next few days, we had to do what we could."
Mike Sanderson’s crew pulled into Madagascar when a section of the rigging failed on day nine of the first part of Leg 2, just one day after taking the lead.
The crew immediately launched a major logistical operation to get back into action, the second of this edition of the Volvo Ocean Race.
The shore team flew to Madagascar to meet the sailors and the broken part was flown to Valencia in Spain by Frano Tregaskis, one of the team’s two riggers, where it was repaired by rigging manufacturer Future Fibres.
Within a week the spreaders were heading back to Madagascar where they were fitted to the mast, ready for action.
Sanya plan to set sail to the safe haven port, unnamed to prevent piracy, tomorrow evening or Saturday morning.
"After looking at the general forecast for the next few days, the consensus is to leave as soon as we can," Bice added. "With the rest of the sailing team arriving tomorrow morning, there is a high possibility of leaving tomorrow."
Assuming Team Sanya reach the safe haven port under racing conditions, they will collect four points for sixth place for the first stage of Leg 2 and then automatically add one more under race rules for the second stage and a further two points for the Abu Dhabi In-Port Race.
They would then rejoin the rest of the fleet for the second stage of the Abu Dhabi to Sanya third leg, targeting a triumphant homecoming to their home Hainan Province port in China in early February.
From : Volvo Ocean Race
Credit : A. Soriano/Team Sanya/VOR
After stepping the 31-metre mast yesterday, the team carried out crucial sea trials on their repaired rig today as they gear up to race to the safe haven port to complete the first stage of Leg 2.
“The day we thought would never come has arrived,” said Sanya’s shore team manager Nick Bice, who has masterminded the repair operation.
Bice said the trials had been a success in spite winds of around 25 knots. "The rig was great, and we did as much as we could with the weather we had," he added. "It would have been nice to test the new rigging in less breeze but with the forecast set to build over the next few days, we had to do what we could."
Mike Sanderson’s crew pulled into Madagascar when a section of the rigging failed on day nine of the first part of Leg 2, just one day after taking the lead.
The crew immediately launched a major logistical operation to get back into action, the second of this edition of the Volvo Ocean Race.
The shore team flew to Madagascar to meet the sailors and the broken part was flown to Valencia in Spain by Frano Tregaskis, one of the team’s two riggers, where it was repaired by rigging manufacturer Future Fibres.
Within a week the spreaders were heading back to Madagascar where they were fitted to the mast, ready for action.
Sanya plan to set sail to the safe haven port, unnamed to prevent piracy, tomorrow evening or Saturday morning.
"After looking at the general forecast for the next few days, the consensus is to leave as soon as we can," Bice added. "With the rest of the sailing team arriving tomorrow morning, there is a high possibility of leaving tomorrow."
Assuming Team Sanya reach the safe haven port under racing conditions, they will collect four points for sixth place for the first stage of Leg 2 and then automatically add one more under race rules for the second stage and a further two points for the Abu Dhabi In-Port Race.
They would then rejoin the rest of the fleet for the second stage of the Abu Dhabi to Sanya third leg, targeting a triumphant homecoming to their home Hainan Province port in China in early February.
From : Volvo Ocean Race
