VOR Breaking: Overall leader MAPFRE has suspended racing just six miles west of Cape Horn; Brunel fi

ALICANTE – Bad news for VOR overall leader MAPFRE as they have had to suspend racing in order to effect repairs on the sail track on their mast. Excerpt from a press release just issued by VOR Media:

Under the rules of the Volvo Ocean Race, a team that suspends racing may use its engine, get outside assistance or take on equipment to make a repair.

The penalty for suspending racing is that you must remain out of the race for a minimum of 12 hours, and return to the same location where you suspended before resuming the race. Given the speed of the other boats, this latest development has the potential to knock the overall race leader back significantly.

The forecast, however, works in MAPFRE’s favour. A ridge of high pressure is expected to slow the frontrunners and allow the trailing boats to catch up.

“A complete restart just after the Falklands,” is how leg leader Bouwe Bekking [aboard Team Brunel] describes it.

Read the full VOR press release here.

Congrats to Team Brunel, first around Cape Horn on Day 12 of Leg 7 from Auckland to Itajai, Brazil, early today (Thursday, 29 March). Pictured are Brunel skipper Bouwe Bekking, 2017 AC winning helmsman Peter Burling, Brunel navigator Andrew Cape, Kyle Langford, Carlo Huisman, Abby Elher, Alberto Bolzan, Thomas Rouxel. Photo by Brunel OBR Yann Riou, courtesy of the Volvo Ocean Race.