The Dutch/Irish entry in the Volvo Ocean Race, Team Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) has suffered damage to the port side carbon structure around the keel ram. The boat was half way across the Bay of Bengal when the damage occurred, at 1930 local time, midday GMT. Skipper Roberto Bermudez de Castro and his crew are safe and the boat is not taking on water.
“We are currently putting up the J4, and we will sail eastwards (upwind) with the keel centred using only the starboard ram,” reported navigator Matt Gregory/USA. “We should be able to sail at seven knots. According to the boat’s designer, Juan Kouyoumdjian, it is safe to continue under sail and we are about 400 nm west of the northern corner of Sumatra. We have a fuel range of 450 nm and enough food for 11 days at sea,” he said. Trimmer, Edwin O’Connor/IRL is leading the process of repairing the structure onboard.
“We heard a big bang. Johnny (Gerd van Poortman/NED) and I thought the mast had come down. Everybody was shocked and we started searching below deck. It did not take long before we found the problem. The port side carbon structure that holds the ram was broken. At the moment, the guys are consulting external expertise to secure the keel,” explained MCM Sander Pluijm from the Netherlands.
It is too early to know the exact cause of the damage, but it is likely to be a failure of the hydraulic system. The crew have not retired from the race but are considering the possibility of going to the nearest harbour or continuing towards Singapore, which is the preferred option.
“This is incredibly bad luck, but the safety of the crew is my first priority,” said skipper Roberto Bermudez. “It is my job to bring them home safely,” he added.
The shore team is ready to start repairing the damage, which should enable Team Delta Lloyd to start the in-port race in Singapore on 10 January.
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