2001 - a yachting odyssey pt4

Gerald New rounds off this series with a look at what was in the news in the last three months of the year

As we went into November Ellen MacArthur set sail on her latest adventure with former Vendee Globe winner Alain Gautier on board the trimaran Foncia-Kingfisher in the Transat Jacques Vabre. It was Groupama that crossed the Salvador da Bahia finish line as first multihull home in 14 days 9 hours and 3 minutes to cover the 5,188 miles. They were chased home by an exhausted, but still delighted, despite being pipped at the post, Ellen MacArthur who spoke to Ed Gorman about her experience In the Transat Jacques Vabre.

See Thierry Martinez's extraordinary photos of Foncia-Kingfisher. Sill was first monohull home , Ecover was second with Casto just 1.5 hours later.

Are multihulls the race boats of the 21st century? Well you have only to read of PlayStation's impossibly quick tour of the Isle of Wight in just 2 hours 33 minutes or the fact that it took one week for the 60ft trimarans in the Transat Jacques Vabre to sail from north France to the Doldrums, to realise they are the most exciting sailing boats afloat. But the TJV was proving that multihulls are not just about drag racing, but can provide top competition as well.

With tens of millions of bucks at stake is it any wonder that a criminal element should try to exploit the America's Cup? Sean Reeves was accused of offering Oracle secret technical information belonging to One World. Then it transpired that Reeves also attempted to sell this to GBR Challenge's Dave Barnes for a cool $1 million.

The Volvo prepared for Leg 2 and Britain's Neal McDonald was now skipper of the Volvo Ocean 60 Assa Abloy, after the firing of Roy Heiner. From the re-start John Kostecki's illbruck Challenge led the Volvo Ocean 60 fleet south towards Cape Point and the Southern Ocean.

It was an incredible start in near perfect conditions for the eight teams competing in the Volvo Ocean Race second leg.

illbruck had a fright after they found the boat flooded, though John Kostecki's team were now fourteen miles behind the leader, it could have been worse - they might have sunk. Tyco did not have such luck. Having successfully led the Volvo Ocean Race out of Cape Town, the crew saw their rudder stock disintegrate before their eyes and with it their chances of achieving a win in this leg. They limped back to South Africa under emergency rudder as Neal McDonald and Assa Abloy thundered on into first place.

More drama was to come - Possibly the worst nightmare in the world - getting badly ill while on a stark racing yacht barrelling its way across the Southern Ocean, this befell Amer Sport One's Keith Kilpatrick. An RAAF Orion was scrambled to drop supplies, and Volvo chartered a fishing boat to rendez vous with Amer Sport One to take Keith Kilpatrick to hospital. Carrying a sick crewman Dalts had an excuse, but what of the girls? Peter Bentley questioned why Amer Sports Too was so far behind and seemed to not so much stir things up as give them a good shake.

But in the end it was John Kostecki's illbruck that romped through Sydney Harbour first home in the Volvo Ocean Race's second leg. They crossed the finish line off the Opera House after 6,550 miles of racing, the first five boats finished within six hours. On their arrival Grant Dalton was whisked off to hospital with broken ribs. See the gallery of photos from the finish including some of Amer Sport One broaching.

Then the sailing world was stunned by the news that New Zealand yachting legend, Sir Peter Blake had been murdered by armed attackers while acting as a United Nations Environment Programme Ambassador in Brazil.

Blake's yacht, Seamaster was attacked at 10.15 PM local time 12 December. It appears that he died trying to defend his crew against the attackers.

Blake will be remembered not only as the man who won the America's Cup for New Zealand, but also mounted the first successful defence outside the USA. He won every leg of the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race aboard Steinlager II and captured the Jules Verne Trophy aboard ENZA New Zealand.

The International 14 Worlds in Bermuda were delayed by hurricane Olga and when they did finally race, Zach Berkowitz and Trevor Baylis, who had spent eight months training three times a week in the build-up to Bermuda, working out how to use their T-foil rudder system, were the new champions. All was not smooth though as you can see from the action photos.

As we finish the year the third leg of the Volvo is underway, incorporating the Sydney - Hobart as a short, but damaging leg before heading off for new Zealand. The winter dinghy circuit is in full freezing swing and the London Boat Show will soon be opening it's doors.............

......can another season be far away?