SAILING:IN A decision that has already sharply divided opinion, Volvo Ocean Race organisers yesterday started the fourth leg from China to New Zealand but halted racing for 13 hours on safety grounds and fears that a gale on the Strait of Luzon could cause serious damage to the fleet.

The decision breaks with a long-standing basis for ocean racing that responsibility for whether or not to continue racing rests solely with the skipper of a boat.

The strong northeast wind blowing into the strait between Taiwan and the Philippines for the past week has caused a high seaway to develop, with wave heights variously estimated from three to a possible eight metres.

Racing upwind into such conditions carries a real risk of breaking boats and equipment from the slamming motion even at relatively slow speeds.

Race organisers have questioned whether they can knowingly start a race with such conditions forecast in the modern litigious era when many other events have already opted to postpone their starts for similar reasons.

Yet, this edition of the race has already proven to be quite unlike any other in terms of disruption and damage.

In the first leg, half the fleet was forced out of racing due to broken rigging and boat damage. In the second leg, piracy fears saw most of the fleet shipped from a safe-haven port to within safe racing distance of the finish of that leg.

On the most recent leg into Sanya in China, the leg was split in two, again due to piracy fears.

The safety concerns grew steadily last week as did fears that the route to New Zealand out of the South China Sea did not allow any shelter or alternative routing from the expected conditions.

However, critics have already attacked the brief halt to racing.

“We’re professional sailors, not professional risk-takers and if anything we’re the most acutely aware of the risk,” said Chris Nicholson of second-placed Camper with Emirates Team New Zealand. “It’s my responsibility to make sure that we don’t put ourselves into unnecessary jeopardy.”

The Kiwi vehemently dismissed estimates of the wave height. “For people to be saying eight- and 10-metre seas is just not true,” he said. “They need to go and have a look. Nowhere in the world at this current point in time are there any seas over eight metres.”

Meanwhile, after a brief 40-mile stage that overall leader Iker Martinez’ Telefonica again dominated, the six boats returned to the Serenity Marina at Sanya and were expected to restart late last night in staggered order.

What's at stake

The decision to pause the fourth leg of the Ocean Race due to weather concerns brought relief to several teams in the fleet.

TELEFONICA

The dominant overall leader, but still vulnerable with not even one leg of the race clear ahead. Boat damage would seriously dent their hopes.

CAMPER WITH EMIRATES TEAM

NEW ZEALAND

The Kiwis have been the understudy team of the race, delivering steady results to keep Chris Nicholson and his crew close to the overall leader. They believe they have a boat for the toughest conditions and are furious they are being denied their full test and an opportunity to shine.

GROUPAMA 4

After a faltering start in the first leg, Franck Cammas and his squad, including Ireland’s Damian Foxall, have grown in confidence and are growing threat, at present to second overall Camper. They’ll be happy to sit out the delay.

PUMA OCEAN RACING TEAM POWERED BY BERG PROPULSION

Second-time round for Ken Read with a highly-rated boat and crew, but they are still suffering from the hangover of losing their mast in the first leg and the massively expensive rescue operation involving a chartered ship collecting them from mid-Atlantic and air-freighting their spare mast to Cape Town. Serious damage would be a race-ender.

ABU DHABI OCEAN RACING TEAM

Skipper Ian Walker is on his second round-the-world race and also broke a mast in the first leg. Currently awaiting a return to the Southern Ocean conditions that he hopes will suit his boat better, any further damage would scupper chances.

TEAM SANYA

Former race winner Mike Sanderson has had his hands full from the outset with serious boat damage on the first night of leg one and rig problems in leg two. His goal is to be competitive, maybe even upset the new teams with a podium place or two. Further damage would prevent any such outcome. DAVID BRANIGAN