Sailing: While New Zealander Mike Sanderson, skippering ABN AMRO One, reclaimed the lead from Bouwe Bekking's Movistarin in the Volvo Round the World Race four days into the second leg yesterday, gear failure continues to haunt the event, with two boats in the seven-boat fleet back in port only 72 hours into the second leg, from Cape Town to Melbourne.
Ericsson suffered keel failure for the second time in two legs but more worryingly perhaps, Brasil 1 suffered a structural failure to its deck, supporting critics who have complained the yachts are not up to the job of sailing deep into the Southern Ocean exactly the direction they are heading.
With both yachts now back in South Africa for repairs, the race is again in doubt as evidence mounts that the new breed of Open 70s, designed and built for the race, are fast but not ready for what nature is throwing at them.
So far, four of the seven yachts have suffered drastic hull or rig failures.
As Ericsson turned back, Volvo Race CEO Glenn Bourke issued a statement: "Obviously, in coming up with the brand new Open 70 design, we realised that we were producing a boat that would be at the cutting edge of ocean racing," he said. "So far the boats have lived up to expectations in terms of speed and performance.
"The issues experienced with canting keels have been around for some considerable time and are not unique to the Volvo Open 70 design. In the case of Ericsson, until we know the full nature of the current problem, it would be premature for us to comment any further."
The hammering caused by headwinds has stopped for now as the five remaining boats head for the Southern Ocean in more favourable westerlies, in the hope the growing number of prophets of doom are wrong.
At home, Cork Week organisers expect to hear next week if they have been successful in their bid to attract more of the world's biggest racing machines to Crosshaven in July.
Using Harold Cudmore, one of Cork Week's four international patrons, the regatta chiefs are already confirming the attendance of California's Genuine Risk for the biennial event.
They are using Randal Pittman's 90-footer to attract Bob Oatley's Wild Oats XI, the winner of last month's Sydney-Hobart, as well as Neville Crichton's Alfa Romeo, both from Australia. A proposal has also gone to Bill Buckley's Auckland based Maximus, currently in an Italian yard undergoing mast repairs.
The good news for Cork Week is that it does not clash with any other international maxi fixture, and Royal Cork's Dave Meagher has made the pitch to owners in good time on the basis that these yachting giants should come to northern Europe and get three good events in six weeks, namely the BMW Round Ireland race, Cork Week, and Cowes Week.
The club is also working up a fresh approach to the German industrialist Hasso Plattner, who stormed off the Cork harbour course two years ago.
Meagher has promised owners separate starts and courses in 2006 and yesterday reported things are "looking good but there was nothing confirmed".
Staying on the south coast, California's Roy Disney, another Cork Week patron, who has retired from competitive sailing, will reflect on the high points of his career as guest speaker at a lunchtime fund-raiser today in Cork's Imperial Hotel in aid of the Kinsale and Crosshaven lifeboat.
Over 160,000 visitors are expected at the UK International Boat Show, one of the largest such exhibitions in the world, which opens this morning at ExCel in London Docklands and runs until 15th January.
There are a large number of Irish Marine Federation (IMF) dealers attending the show representing the major yacht brands and there is considerable value in new yacht sales, with new 30-foot boats on offer and ready to sail from €75,000 including VAT.
Irish dealers continue to report strong sales, outstripping many UK dealers, but a lack of berths is hampering the growth of the sailing industry in both of the major sailing centres. Dublin Bay and Cork Harbour, representing 3,000 craft, have five marinas between them and all are filled to capacity.
