Swift preparations for the Global Ocean Race teams in Wellington

Preparations in Wellington for Global Ocean Race leg 3 © Oliver Dewar

The Wellington stopover of the Global Ocean Race (GOR) marks the halfway point for the fleet of Class40s in the 33,000 mile, double-handed circumnavigation. With 15,000 miles and a total of between 65-78 days of racing completed in Legs 1 and 2, the next 18 days in New Zealand is a vital repair and preparation period for the 6,200-mile Leg 3 through the Pacific Ocean and around Cape Horn to Punta del Este, Uruguay.

Fortunately, the 7,500 miles sailed through the high-latitudes of the Indian Ocean, including a succession of frontal systems sweeping eastwards through the fleet delivering wind speeds up to 60 knots, have left all the boats structurally intact with very limited damage. Indeed, the majority of work being undertaken in Wellington is general maintenance. Three boats have pulled their rigs and the carbon masts of Cessna Citation, BSL and Phesheya-Racing are being checked by Duffy Yacht and Rigging at Chaffers Marina.

The South African team of Nick and Phillippa Hutton-Squire have moved Phesheya-Racing to Seaview Marina on the eastern shore of Wellington Harbour and the keel of their four year-old version one Akilaria Class40 has been removed by the racing specialist team from Hakes Marine to check the keel head, keel bolts and flange bolts – a very prudent move at the GOR’s halfway point.

Conrad Colman’s Akilaria RC2, Cessna Citation, will shortly motor mastless across the harbour from the GOR base in Queen’s Wharf to join Phesheya-Racing and Hakes Marine will fit extra longitudinal stringers in the forepeak as although Colman’s Class40 has shown no indication of structural failure after 65 days and half a planet of hard racing, the boat’s manufacturers, MC-TEC in Tunisia, has recognised potential structural weakness in the bow of RC2s.

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