Just over one month after the Vestas Wind ran aground in the Cargados Carajos Shoals in the Indian Ocean, Vestas Wind Systems A/S together with sub-sponsor Powerhouse are proud to announce the return of their boat and nine-man crew to the 2014-2015 Race.
Credit : B.Carlin
“I am extremely proud to announce that Team Vestas Wind will be rejoining the race by repairing the boat,” says Morten Albæk, Vestas Chief Marketing Officer and CEO of Team Vestas Wind. “Vestas is a company that stands up to pressure. We stick with it, we make comebacks. This has become a race for us to rejoin the race.”
Initial concerns that returning to the race might not be possible were overcome when skipper Chris Nicholson returned to the reef with shore crew and a salvage team in mid-December to recover the boat and assessed that it was probably reparable.
“We got the boat off the reef in better condition than we thought possible,” Nicholson said. “There are large portions of the deck that can be reused and a lot of other components within the structure. We'll rebuild our boat just as we rebuild our hopes and dreams.”
The damaged boat has now arrived in Malaysia after being picked up by a Maersk Line container ship that diverted to the area of the crash site in December. A thorough assessment of the damage will now be carried out and the Volvo Ocean 65 will soon be on its way to join Team Vestas Wind’s shore and sailing crewmembers to begin repairs at Persico Marine in Italy.
“Although the schedule is short and every second counts, Vestas is known for overcoming big challenges. We now have the opportunity to perform one of the biggest comebacks in sailing and prove to the world what Vestas and Team Vestas Wind are capable of accomplishing.”
From Team Vestas Wind
