Team Holcim – PRB reviews options following the mast failure on stage four of the Ocean Race to Newport. Susann Beucke and Boris Herrmann were shocked. The Malizia skipper wants to help Holcim.
When the sea was calm and the sun came out, Kevin Escoffier summarized the events of the very early morning. “One second you still think everything is perfect. The next second it’s a nightmare,” said the 43-year-old skipper. On Thursday morning at 7 a.m. German time, the mast of the Holcim – PRB broke about 20 miles off the Brazilian coast in moderate winds and moderate sea conditions. “It was a mechanical failure, the mast fell down,” said Escoffier.
The Swiss team was leading at the time of the accident on the fourth leg of the circumnavigation, but turned around and set course for Brazil. “That’s life. We are now working on an auxiliary rig to get back to port and then be able to race again as soon as possible. The team is working hard to find a solution,” said Escoffier. Also on board the overall leader are Fabien Delahaye, Benjamin Schwartz, Dutchwoman Annemieke Bes and onboard reporter Georgia Schofield.
The Holcim PRB team is examining the options, including whether it would be possible to bring a replacement tower to Brazil in time. If successful, the team could resume racing on leg four, earning at least a point and rejoining the fleet at Newport in time for the transatlantic leg. “When we get to Newport the start is May 21st and when we get there we’re still going to be leading the ocean race so we’re working hard to make that happen,” said Escoffier.
Herrmann is shocked
“It was a big shock for us that Kevin lost the mast. That makes me very sad,” said Herrmann, who is currently on pause and spending time with his family in Hamburg, the NDR. “It’s a devastating situation for one of the best teams. We don’t want to see the favorite eliminated in this way.” The 41-year-old contacted Escoffier directly in the morning: “I told him that we offer our full support and that he should hold his head up.”
The replacement mast is located in Lorient, France
The loss of the rig can even mean the end of the entire regatta for Holcim. Because the Swiss team is now facing a logistical challenge, a replacement mast and the associated technology are at the manufacturer in Lorient on the French Atlantic coast. “For these cases, the Imoca class has reserved a mast in Lorient, which will be made available to the first team to break the mast,” explained Susann Beucke to NDR. The woman from Kiel was a crew member on board Holcim on the second leg from Cape Verde to Cape Town and celebrated the stage victory.
Ocean Race: Those Stages
1st stage: Alicante – Cape Verde
Start: January 15; Arrival: January 21st
1,900 nautical miles
2nd stage: Cape Verde – Cape Town/South Africa
Start: January 25th. Arrival: February 12th
4,600 nautical miles
3. Stage: Cape Town – Itajai/Brazil
Start: February 26; Expected arrival: April 2nd
12,750 nautical miles
4th stage: Itajaí/Brasilien – Newport/USA
Launch: April 23; Expected arrival: May 10th
5,550 nautical miles
5th Stage: Newport/USA – Aarhus/Denmark
Start: May 21; Expected arrival: May 30th
3,500 nautical miles
6. Stage: Aarhus/Denmark – Fly-By Kiel – The Hague/Netherlands
Start: June 8; Kiel (no stop) June 9; Expected arrival: June 11th
800 nautical miles
7th stage: The Hague/Netherlands – Genoa/Italy
Start: June 15; Expected finish: July 1st
2,200 nautical miles
Becky is keeping his fingers crossed
The fourth stage, on which 11th Hour Racing has now taken the lead, takes the field over 5,500 nautical miles from Itajai/Brazil to the American sailing Mecca of Newport. Arrival is expected around May 10th, the fifth stage to Aarhus starts on May 21st. Time is of the essence, because the section to Denmark is counted twice. If Holcim doesn’t make it to the starting line in time, you could end up missing up to 15 points. Five for the section to Newport and another ten for the section to Aarhus.
“All in all, it’s a super meltdown for the team and of course a total shame because the hard-earned points advantage is melting away. I really hope that they manage to be ready for stage five again,” said Beucke.
“All teams are helping with full solidarity to get Holcim back in the running. We, in particular, are trying to step on the gas now with our shipping contacts.”
— Boris Herrmann
“The options now are to transport the boat on by cargo ship or to bring a mast to Brazil by express freight,” said Herrmann. The Hamburger has already taken action to help the competitor. “I immediately established a few cross-connections because we have Kuehne & Nagel as a partner who can transport something like this,” says the Malizia skipper.
Holcim needs logistical masterpiece
Beucke declined. “Sea freight takes a long time, air freight is super expensive.” Either way, the team is facing “a logistical masterpiece”. The news in the morning was “a total shock” – and also a surprise. “It was so unexpected, especially in leg 4. There was talk of it being a very tactical race because you can expect rather light winds. That’s why I didn’t expect any material damage in this leg,” said the 31-year-old to the NDR. But she was “mainly happy that the team is doing well and that nothing happened to anyone. That’s the main thing”.
Good relationship between Herrmann and Escoffier
Whether Holcim can make a comeback on the fifth stage with the support of Herrmann and Co., among others, remains to be seen. The four-time circumnavigator from Hamburg and Escoffier have a very good relationship and appreciate each other. The man from Hamburg was involved in the dramatic rescue operation for the French skipper during the Vendée Globe 2020 solo round-the-world trip on a dark night. His boat had broken through and sunk 840 nautical miles southwest of Cape Town. Escoffier was able to send a short message before fleeing to the life raft: “I’m sinking. That’s no joke. Mayday.” Luckily it wasn’t that bad this time.
Stanjek: “It’s an unbelievable shame”
“Fortunately no one is injured, but it’s an unbelievable shame. Kevin sailed such a strong regatta. It’s a shame how quickly such a strong campaign falls apart. You wouldn’t wish that on anyone,” said Robert Stanjek, co-skipper on board Guyot Environment – Team Europe. The Berliner and his team had to abandon the third stage due to hull damage – a bitter experience.
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Sports current | 04/27/2023 | 09:17 am
