Volvo Ocean Race - Time to redress

by Jon Bramley on 31 Dec 2014 Team Alvimedica have won their claim for redress after they diverted course to sail to the assistance of the grounded Team Vestas Wind in Leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race.

They placed fifth out of the six finishers in the stage from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi, but an independent ISAF jury hearing ruled that the time lost assisting Chris Nicholson’s crew on the night of November 29 cost them a position.

The Turkish-American crew stood by on the other side of the lagoon as Team Vestas Wind ran through emergency procedures, preparing to evacuate their stricken boat.

It meant that not only did Charlie's crew drop behind Team SCA in the race, but he argued that they also missed out on the remnants of a tropical weather system which helped give their rivals a boost.

They were consequently given a new points total - four, as opposed to five, the same amount as Mapfre, by the jury today.

'We have decided to grant you redress by giving you a point for fourth place without affecting the finishing positions of the other boats,' jury chairman Bernard Bonneau told Team Alvimedica skipper Charlie Enright and navigator Will Oxley.

'Obviously, we’re very pleased with the ruling,' said Charlie.

'It’s nice to have the point but it’s a small step in a big journey. It doesn’t change the overall standings currently, it doesn’t affect the positions of the other boats in the last leg, but later a point could be fairly big.

'But we’re only 20 per cent through this race and we’ve got a lot of racing left to do.

He smiles. 'It’s only going to mean what we want it to mean if we sail well in the other legs.'

The decision means that Team Alvimedica now stand five instead of six points behind the leading trio of Team Brunel, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and Dongfeng Race Team.