Chinese entrant Dongfeng Race Team was one of four boats in the Volvo Ocean Race fleet to keel over in the Southern Ocean on Tuesday as the fleet experienced its roughest conditions since the event started in October last year.
The all-women’s crew of Team SCA (Sweden), Dongfeng and MAPFRE (Spain) all suffered “Chinese gybes” — with the boats briefly tipped on their sides — during 12 hours of drama as they headed toward Cape Horn.
Another competitor, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, also endured a drama-filled night, reporting “a massive wipeout,” although it was not pitched on its side in the same way as the other three.
Photo: AFP
Miraculously, no injuries from any of the crews were reported, although the boats were assessing how much damage had been done in the incidents after they were returned upright.
Charles Caudrelier, the French skipper of Dongfeng, also gave a graphic description of the toppling of his boat.
“This will be a great and amusing story to share over a beer or to my grandchildren in a few years’ time — but last night it was hell,” Caudrelier wrote. “Laid flat on the water with the boat heeled at 90 degrees at 48 degrees south, with 40 knots of wind [75kph] and 5m seas is really not fun at all.”
MAPFRE’s Onboard Reporter Francisco Vignale described the scene on the Spanish boat.
“Due to a big wave, our boat was completely lying on its side. We were on deck and it was I who was closest to the water. Xabi [Fernandez] grabbed my jacket and helped me get out of this terrible situation,” he wrote in a message to shore. “Inside the boat, the situation was not very good either. The members of the crew who were sleeping were crushed between the berth and deck.”
“For a while, it was real mayhem, but fortunately none of the sailors were hurt. All four boats were later able to return to sailing through the most treacherous waves encountered since the six-strong fleet set off in Alicante last October,” a Volvo Ocean Race spokesman said.
They have now covered more than 2,000 nautical miles (3,700km) of the 6,776 nautical mile fifth leg. Team Brunel (Netherlands), which avoided any major problems, led by 11.1 nautical miles from overall race leaders Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.
Team Alvimedica (Turkey/US), another boat to stay upright throughout, were third, 28.8 nautical miles adrift of Brunel, with MAPFRE, Dongfeng Race Team and Team SCA trailing them.
The boats are still expected to arrive in their leg five destination, Itajam, Brazil, on about April 4, having left Auckland, New Zealand, on March 18.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was