What drama at the start of the final leg of the Ocean Race. The yachts of Guyot environnement – Team Europe and 11th Hour Racing collided on the circuit in front of The Hague. Guyot said he would forgo the stage and help 11th Hour finish the race.
The accident happened about 20 minutes after the start on Thursday at one of the turning points of the 2.4 nautical mile circuit. Guyot skipper Benjamin Dutreux had apparently overlooked the US boat crossing in front of him. “I take full responsibility. That was clearly our mistake,” said the Frenchman.
“I hope 11th Hour can continue racing and win the Ocean Race. We will help – with everything we have at our disposal.”
— Guyot skipper Benjamin Dutreux
Guyot gets out – and wants to help 11th Hour
The Guyot drilled into the stern of the Malama with the bowsprit, there is now a huge hole, and there was also damage inside the yacht. The big question is whether the boat can be patched up to withstand the rigors of the high seas and allow the stage to be resumed.
The race director announced in the evening that all crew members were uninjured. However, there is “considerable damage to both boats”. Guyot said he would skip the stage and focus all his energy on getting 11th Hour back into the race.
Tears aboard the 11th Hour
Malizia, who was fourth at the time, almost couldn’t avoid the two boats in front of them. “We had a lot of stress and had to let go completely,” said Rosalin Kuiper on “Eurosport” before she – visibly shocked – was presented with the full extent of the collision on a cell phone.
Skipper Charlie Enright and his 11th Hour crew were stunned and let their tears flow freely. Guyot, who was only back at the start after a broken mast and missed two stages, was also very depressed. Irony of fate: Guyot received the replacement mast from 11th Hour Racing …
“It’s not the way you would hope for a race to start, fortunately nobody was injured,” Boris Hermann said on Twitter and offered “our support with all necessary repair work” with his team Malizia.
Enright: “It’s not over until it’s over”
Enright, forgivingly hugging Dutreux in the port, explained: “Accidents happen. I know they didn’t want to put us out of the race on purpose.” Now you have to see how it goes: “It’s only over when it’s over.”
Way clear for Holcim – PRB?
The US team had won the last three stages of the Ocean Race and were aiming for overall victory with a two-point lead over Holcim – PRB. However, should 11th Hour Racing be eliminated, Holcim would be the overall winner. Boris Herrmann and the Malizia – Seaexplorer would be second.
The stage to Genoa is not very long at 2,200 nautical miles, but it also has tricky passages with some restricted zones in the English Channel and the narrow Strait of Gibraltar. There is also an extended orca risk zone off Gibraltar, where whale attacks have increased in the past.
The arrival of the Imocas in Genoa is expected on June 25th.
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Sports current | 06/15/2023 | 8:17 p.m
