Movistar docks in Ushuaia but is fighting back

by Volvo on 5 Mar 2006 'This is my future, this is my career,' said skipper Bouwe Bekking today as movistar docked in Ushuaia in the dead of night.

The team on Spanish yacht movistar is fighting back. They will not give up this, the race for which they have been preparing for a long time. Movistar is a highly competitive boat and Bekking says they can still make an overall podium finish. 'There is an outside chance of second place and we believe we can definitely make third. This is what we are focussing on,' he said.

After being escorted into Ushuaia by both the Chilean and Argentine Navies, from the sea and from the air, the professional attitude of the team shone through, when they stepped ashore and the atmosphere was one of sheer determination. No one on this boat is ready to give up. The interior of the boat was clean and the crew had managed to have some rest.

Movistar’s shore crew was waiting in Ushuaia and has been beefed up by boat builders from the Spanish America’s Cup team. All are anxious to repair movistar as quickly as possible and get her back into the race to Rio. The boat was hauled out of the water two hours after arriving in order for the team to start work immediately.

James Dadd, chief measurer for the Volvo Open 70 class, has made some observations about the design rule of the boat. “Whilst the situation was very serious, the boat was not actually in danger of physically sinking,” he explains. 'Once the water-tight doors on each water-tight bulkhead inside the boat have been closed, it is actually possible to completely fill the central compartment [living area] and retain a minimum freeboard of half a metre. The minimum panel weight of the bulkheads is also calculated to ensure that the free surface effect of such flooding does not compromise the structural integrity of the yacht.'

Dadd went on to compare the incident with movistar with that of illbruck on leg two of the 2001-02 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, where, on her first night out of Cape Town in huge seas and high winds, their forward water-tight compartment was flooded. Dadd says that this was a potentially more dangerous situation as the fore and aft trim of the boat was affected to a far greater extent.

Designers of movistar, Farr Yacht Design, are standing by to assist in any way they can, and help return movistar to the race track with least loss of time.

Meanwhile racing towards Rio de Janeiro, the two Dutch yachts lead the fleet in first and second place. They have more wind than the rest of the fleet and everyone else is losing out. ABN AMRO ONE (Mike Sanderson)is now 168nm east of the Falkland Islands, 550nm from Argentinean coast and ABN AMRO TWO (Sebastien Josse) is nipping at her heels, 19 nautical miles behind. The team is sailing faster and has cut the lead of their elder brethren by five miles in the last six hours, averaging the highest speed over 24 hours in the fleet.

The focus is now on the last 1600 miles to the finish and, as the teams concentrate on squeezing every ounce of speed out of their boats, the short term memory of their torrid rounding of the infamous Cape Horn is beginning to fade. But long term, this was an experience that all the crews will remember for the rest of their lives.

'As ever, I am relieved that I got through another amazing southern ocean trip in one piece, but I am also somewhat sad. Every time I get to this part of a round the world trip, I look over my shoulder at Cape Horn and just wonder: will I be coming down here again? If not, thank you Southern Ocean, for letting me cross you safely, and thank you for those unforgettable experiences,' Neal McDonald – skipper Ericsson Racing Team.

Positions at 16:00 GMT 4 March: