Team Alvimedica awarded redress

Turkish VO65 gains a point after standing by ship wrecked Team Vestas Wind

Team Alvimedica has gained redress after its diverted course to sail to the assistance of the grounded Team Vestas Wind during Leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race.

The Turkish-US team originally placed fifth out of the six finishers in the leg to Abu Dhabi but at a hearing, the international jury ruled that the time lost assisting Chris Nicholson’s crew on the night of 29 November had cost them a position. Team Alvimedica was consequently given a new placing of joint fourth for the leg with MAPFRE.

Skipper Charlie Enright's crew had diverted to the remote Indian Ocean reef to stand by the stricken Team Vestas Wind ready to offer assistance if required. Ultimately they provided radio assistance but did not need to take the Danish boat's crew on board after they were picked up by the local coast guard.

In the hearing held in Abu Dhabi today, Enright argued that his team lost time and missed later favourable wind conditions.

“We have decided to grant you redress by giving you a point for fourth place without affecting the finishing positions of the other boats,” Jury Chairman Bernard Bonneau told Team Alvimedica's Charlie Enright and navigator Will Oxley.

“Obviously, we’re very pleased with the ruling,” said Enright. “But we’re only 20% through this race and we’ve got a lot of racing left to do. It’s nice to have the point, but it’s a small step in a big journey. It doesn’t change the overall standings currently, it doesn’t affect the positions of the other boats in the last leg, but later a point could be fairly big. But it’s only going to mean what we want it to mean if we sail well in the other legs.”

The decision leaves Team Alvimedica now standing five instead of six points from the present podium in the Volvo Ocean Race.

After the hearing, the seven skippers of the fleet turned their thoughts to the next leg to Sanya, China, which begins this Saturday. For this the fleet will be down to six, with Team Vestas Wind obviously not contesting the 4,670 mile leg.

Team Vestas Wind skipper Chris Nicholson said that his focus was now on returning his crew to the race for the closing legs – if possible. First, the VO65, which was retrieved from a reef in the middle of the Indian Ocean last week, will be examined in Malaysia on 1 January to see if it can form the basis of a full rebuild.

“Everybody has recognised and seen what we’ve gone through and that’s given us hope for the future. We’ve got to use that hope to keep the programme moving," said Nicholson. “We’re in the middle of trying to work out if we can come back. The Plan A is to be back and it always has been, that’s the ultimate goal.”

Updated standings:

1) Team Brunel (Netherlands) 4 pts,
2. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing 4,
3. Dongfeng Race Team (China) 4,
4. Team Alvimedica (Turkey/USA) 9,
5. MAPFRE (Spain) 11,
6. Team SCA (Sweden) 12,
7. Team Vestas Wind (Denmark) 12.