Temenos 2 finishes third in Barcelona World Race |
| Monday, 18 February 2008 |
| Temenos 2 finishes third in Barcelona World Race
The Owen-Clarke designed Open 60 Temenos 2 finish the Barcelona World Race in 3rd place - crossing the finish line at 18.09h GMT in 98 days 6 hours 9 minutes and 10 seconds! A fantastic achievement for Swiss skipper Dominique Wavre and French yachtswoman Michele Paret.
Temenos 2 fell off the ‘weather train’ on the way south down the Atlantic Ocean in the early stages of the race. The
South Atlantic High then closed across the course and along with a number of the boats Temenos 2 lost ground on the leader and eventual worthy winner Virbac-Paprec.
After a stopping off in Wellington and incurring a mandatory 48 hour layover to investigate a patch of corrosion on her steel keel, (this turned out to only require repainting) Temenos rejoined the second half of the race a considerable distance behind the leaders. By this time four other boats (Veolia, Estrella Damm, Delta D’Or and PRB) had retired with technical issues ranging from rudder problems to dismastings.
Temenos sailed a fast second half of the race and recorded the quickest times in the final two point scoring ‘gates’ of the race to finish equal second on points with second place finisher Hugo Boss.
Dominique Wavre, on his feeling at arrival: “Our first feeling is actually mixed - on the one hand I am a little sad to finish this story, but I am so happy to be with all my friends who have been with us in the last three months, and it is fantastic to be able to now tell them all about what a full round the world race really is. It is a magnificent race; technically very difficult; it is not like a solo race. You have to do the same as on a fully crewed boat, but with only two solo sailors – like in a team doing everything together; it was harder, more tiring than when I did the Vendee Globe. We pushed harder, and worked more. I have just two regrets, one being a tactical mistake in the Atlantic where we got left behind, and the second was when we had to stop to repair the keel in New Zealand. We know it was a good decision, as we were able to continue the race. Even if it was frustrating as sailors to have to slow down in the last two weeks, but later we were a lot faster because of that decision. After New Zealand the Pacific was a lot calmer but we had a good battle with the Spanish boat up to Cape Horn and we had to work very hard on our tactics - it was exciting tactically and that is what makes the sport. We had some real match racing with one boat following the other, we had a good race up until the last minute and came out ahead.”
Michele Paret on their future projects: “We have learnt such a lot about the boat and have a lot of new knowledge than those who didn’t finish. We are now going to work on the boat and prepare it the best we can for the Vendee Globe; we have learnt an enormous amount. Today I can already say that I would love to do the race again because it is fantastic. It is quite unique, and original technically; you really push yourself and the boat to the very end, to the extreme and you don’t let yourself go- you feel absolutely everything – fear, stress and great pleasure, it is delirious you ask yourself “why am I doing this? How are we going to get through this? But you do get through it, and then you have the next surf come along. I can already say that I want to experience that again, and will have to speak very seriously to our sponsor! It is a super race, there are some fabulous moments and the boat is fantastic.”
Meanwhile there are still two Owen-Clarke boats still on the course, Mutua Madrilena (ex Ecover 2) and Educacion sin Fronteras (ex Kingfisher, OCD/RHYD). Mutua Madrilena is due to finish in the next twenty-four hours after a ding-dong battle with Temenos up the Atlantic. The venerable ‘Kingfisher’, having completed her fourth passage around Cape Horn is expected to arrive by the end of the week.
The return into the Mediterranean has been difficult for all the boats so far, with potentially boat breaking short steep seas kicked up by winds between 35 and 50 knots. If all three OCD 60’s maintain on track to finish in third, fourth and fifth places then Owen-Clarke can be well pleased with a podium place and all their boats finishing this grueling race.
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