Stranded global race crew recovering in
Abu Dhabi
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[December 06, 2014]
ABU DHABI, Reuters - The Volvo Ocean
Race crew who crashed into a reef in the Indian Ocean and spent two days
stranded on an island surrounded by sharks, have flown to Abu Dhabi.
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The nine sailors of Danish-backed boat Team Vestas Wind were
being debriefed by race officials and given any psychological
support necessary.
“The priority remains the crew, and the sponsors and the race are
concentrating now on ensuring their well-being is continued to be
taken care of,” a Volvo Ocean Race spokesman said on Saturday.
The boat remains on the reef in St Brandon and the team and race
officials are assessing how it can be retrieved.
"It looks doubtful that it can be repaired to join the race at a
later stage but the team and its sponsors are determined to remain a
part of the event in one shape or form,” the spokesman said. The
crew were rescued from the island of Ile du Sud on Wednesday and
spent two days in Mauritius. Ile du Sud is surrounded by sharks and
barracuda, according to the local coastguard on the archipelago of
St. Brandon.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2014/Dec/06/images/ads/current/topflight_west_sda_101414.png) The team issued a statement from Australian skipper Chris Nicholson
saying that human error, rather than any technical fault, was to
blame for the collision in which the 4.5 million euro ($5.53
million) boat hit the reef at 19 knots (35 kilometers an hour).
“The miracle is that nobody was badly injured or even killed.
Instead, they escaped with no more than minor scratches and
bruises,” the spokesman added.
The incident last Saturday took place around the midway point of the
second leg between Cape Town and Abu Dhabi of the nine-month global
race which started in Alicante, Spain on Oct. 4 and is scheduled to
finish in Gothenburg, Sweden, on June 27.
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Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, skippered by Britain’s twice Olympic silver
medalist Ian Walker, won the opening stage and is leading on leg two
with just over 1,500 nautical miles to go.
The six remaining boats in the fleet are expected to arrive in the
Emirates next Saturday. Latest placings:
1. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, 2. Dongfeng Race Team (China), 3. Team
Brunel (Netherlands), 4. Team Alvimedica (Turkey/U.S.), 5. MAPFRE
(Spain), 6. Team SCA (Sweden).
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
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