The first leg of the Ocean Globe Race, the Whitbread-revival round-the-world race, delivered a nail biting race to the finish in Cape Town, South Africa.
After the fleet left Southampton on 10 September an early leading pack established itself of the Swan 65 Translated 9, the all-female entry Maiden, Marie Taberly’s Pen Duick VI, and Spirit of Helsinki, a Swan 651. First to cross the Equator on 28 September, the 73ft ketch Pen Duick pulled out a nearly 300-mile lead, and the French pre-race favourites looked set to take the opening leg.
However, the South Atlantic had other plans, with a high pressure ridge slowing the leaders while the fleet behind faced 10 days of beating upwind into south-easterlies. Tabarly and crew on Pen Duick VI gybed east towards Cape Town, while Spirit of Helsinki continued pushing south to avoid the light airs, picking up stronger southeasterlies and sailing around the French team to take the lead on the water.
Cape Town’s famously changeable conditions left the leg placings uncertain until each boat had actually crossed the line. The Spirit of Helsinki crew ghosted across the finish to take line honours on 20 October after 39 days and 20 hours of racing.
Nine hours later Pen Duick VI was the second yacht to finish. “Of course, I’m a bit disappointed we finished 2nd, not 1st, but that’s life,” said skipper Tabarly. “I don’t regret anything because we had a good race. The boat responded very well, the crew were amazing and the tactics were good. I would not change anything. It was a perfect 40 days.
“The only difference is Spirit of Helsinki could see where we had a problem because nobody had a weather forecast,” added Tabarly, referring to the limited weather data the race rules allow, “[they had the option of] knowing Pen Duick is slowing down and say ‘we will go another way’. For us, we did not have anyone ahead, as we were ahead. I would have done the same if I was in Spirit of Helsinki’s position.”
Extraordinarily, Tabarly then had to spend her first night on land in hospital being treated for a deep gash on her leg after being attacked by a sea lion on the pontoon while she was handling mooring lines at the V&A Waterfront.
In contrasting conditions, as the 3rd boat to finish, Translated 9, approached Cape Town the following morning, the famed ‘Cape Doctor’ wind was blowing, with 60 knot gusts. Crossing the line at 0148 on 21 October placed Translated 9 firmly in 1st place on IRC corrected time. The Italian entry, co-skippered by Vendée Globe veteran Vittorio Malingri, is 1st in Flyer Class with a two-day time advantage over Spirit of Helsinki.
