Assault On illbruckâ??s Lead

Now that the crew have been able to sort out their situation on-board Team SEB, skipper, Gurra Krantz has been able to e-mail details about the conditions at the exact time of the dismasting yesterday.

Sailing along in an average wind speed of 28 – 32 knots they were suddenly hit by a snow squall of 48 knots. The yacht accelerated, broached violently and hit the water whilst sailing at 27 knots. What happened next, Gurra described: “After this giant hand pulled the boat over it was water flooding through the hatch and then a first bang, which was followed by the sound of breaking carbon.”

Meanwhile the racing for the rest of the fleet goes on. Behind illbruck, still in leading position Tyco and Amer Sports One have split for a northerly and a southerly route. This made a difficult decision for John Kostecki and his crew. They will have remembered the situation, when approaching the finish in Auckland, News Corp and Tyco split behind and Tyco took third place away from illbruck. Kostecki decided to go north with Amer Sports One and getting closer toward News Corp, who is sailing in better breeze in the north. ASSA ABLOY and djuice are working southeast in a shifty breeze but were able to make some miles on the leading yachts. Amer Sports Too is following SEB’s course and could pass very close after closing the 56 mile gap that separates them.

Volvo Ocean Race Position Report, Day 13, 0956 GMT

PSYachtLatitude LongitudeDTFCMGSMGTFHRDTLDTL-C ETA PO
1ILBK59 52.64S087 05.20W0292306212.73370+018 FEB 0229
2AONE59 25.40S088 03.24W0294706211.834124+619 FEB 0225
3TYCO60 19.36S087 53.00W0295211013.636829+219 FEB 0218
4AART60 14.84S088 55.08W0298110613.537358-219 FEB 0220
5NEWS59 05.84S089 44.52W0299610213.038573-319 FEB 0220
6DJCE60 21.48S089 27.64W0299810313.637575-419 FEB 0213
7TSEB57 29.72S102 16.80W0339606407.3141473+3728 FEB 0213
8ATOO58 01.96S103 53.12W0344105012.9277518+2320 FEB 026