Volvo Ocean Race- Delta Lloyd against the odds cross finish under sail

by Kate Laven on 25 Dec 2008
At the end of Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race, torrential rain offered a fitting end for the beleaguered Delta Lloyd which, against the odds, crossed the finish line under sail to add a single point to their overall tally.

There was little to smile about as Roberto Bermudez de Castro's (or Chuny) drenched crew motored into the marina at Sentosa Cove having crossed the finish line in eighth place after a 1,950 nautical mile passage filled with disappointment.

It finished with engine failure just 20 minutes after dropping the sails and was followed by a tropical downpour so intense, the arrival ceremonies had to be quickly shifted from dockside to clubhouse.

'We are very disappointed,' said Chuny.

'We are unhappy because we lost any opportunity to race with the fleet and there was plenty of opportunity through the Malaccan Straits but we were forced to sit and watch this close racing from the back of the fleet.'

For veteran round the world sailor Stu Wilson the final problems with the overheating engine and the weather were met with an air of resignation among the crew.

'It has been a long and hard leg for us so when the engine overheated, we just shrugged our shoulders and got on with the repairs. It was a leg to forget and the best bit was arriving here.'

'We were always on the back foot right from the start. We thought we had caught up and then the problem with the keel. We are beaten and badly need a holiday.'

The bad luck began before the race started in Cochin when they ran aground and were stranded for nearly 15 minutes. On day six they suffered damage to the port keel ram structure which meant they were able only to use the starboard ram restricting their speed and options.

'We had 1,000 miles to go with only one ram and we could not imagine that it would get us to Singapore so we thought about going back to India,' said Chuny.

'In the end we decided to carry on and to arrive just 24 hours after the rest of the boats with only one ram is incredible. This boat is fantastic.

'We were always fighting until the last boat finished because we knew how difficult it would be coming into Singapore with the light winds and we were always hopeful that we would get something other than last position.'

Despite the disappointment, Bermudez who joined the Delta Lloyd team in Cape Town after taking over the reins from Ger O'Rourke, was enthusiastic about the new route across Asia.

'For the people like me, it is a brand new experience. We know more countries now and more seas and that is good for us as sailors and for the race.

'But now we have to repair the boat. It is a difficult repair but we have plenty of time.'
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