Merit Cup skipper Grant Dalton feared for the nine boats in the Whitbread Round The World Race yesterday with upwind conditions making sailing very rough in the South Australian Bight - but predicted the fleet would have some relief today.
"No way can you call the last 24 hours pleasant when yesterday was filled with constant tacking in fresh wind, no sleep for the boys and lots of water flying around," Dalton said. "The boat is very wet down below and only today will meal times start to be popular again."
Toshiba captain Paul Standbridge kept his vessel in the lead and praised his crew and Whitbread 60, which is positioned in the middle of the fleet following three distressing events.
Standbridge recalled: "We got caught in a fish trap just north of Rottnest island, the halyard winch broke and flew off the deck, just missing two crew and giving the skipper another heart attack, and the depth transducer came out of the hull, flooding the bow compartment."
Toshiba's advantage over fellow American entry Chessie Racing is 1.6 miles, with Swedish Match (3.4 miles) and British boat Silk Cut (4.6 miles) in close pursuit.
Positions have changed dramatically since the third leg of the race started as different ends of the spread surge forward to gain the advantage.
Norwegian skipper Knut Frostad and his crew on Innovation Kvaerner did a remarkable job of repairing their mast while at sea, losing only about 25 minutes while a helicopter dropped a repair kit to them.
The leaders have 1,645 miles to go to Sydney, the next stopover of the race where they are expected on about December 22nd.
Whitbread Round The World Race - 1, Toshiba 1,645.2 miles to finish of third leg; 2, Chessie Racing 1.6 miles behind leader; 3, Swedish Match at 3.4 miles; 4, Silk Cut at 4.6; 5, Merit Cup at 7.1; 6, EF Language at 7.2; 7, BrunelSunergy at 9.5; 8, EF Education at 15.7; 9, Innovation Kvaerner at 19.8.
