Sanya hit by devastating rudder loss
Volvo Ocean Race underdogs Team Sanya saw their hopes of Leg 5 glory crushed Thursday when one of the two rudders on the boat snapped, leaving them contemplating a return to New Zealand for repairs. Sanya were leading on Day 5 of the leg from Auckland to Itajai in Brazil when the damage was done, forcing several tonnes of water into a compartment at the back of the boat and leaving them pondering their next move. One option is to head to Wellington to get a repair done. The other is to continue sailing through the Southern Ocean, in winds of over 40 knots, with the emergency rudder all six boats are required to carry. "It was a big bang and as soon as I heard it I knew we were in trouble," the team's New Zealander skipper Mike Sanderson said from the boat. "I wasn't sure what it was but I knew it was bad. "The guys have just finished fixing the hole, which has taken a couple of hours, and we've fitted the emergency steering. We'll see what we do next. The priority is to keep everyone safe." Sanya have had little luck since the fleet left Alicante in November. Within hours of that start a collision ripped a hole in their bow and forced them to ship the boat to Cape Town. They then built a huge lead in Leg 2 only for a rigging problem to force them to detour to Madagascar for repairs. They are currently in last place overall and unlikely to improve on that unless their fortune changes drastically. Camper/Team New Zealand replaced them in first place on Leg 5 on Thursday following their latest mishap. There is little between the main challengers on the leg, with overall leaders Telefonica back in fourth but with plenty of time to strike over the remaining 5,500 nautical miles of the leg around Cape Horn and on to Brazil. Overall standings after four legs: 1. Telefonica (Spain) 122 points; 2. Groupama 107; 3. Camper/ETNZ (Spain/New Zealand) 104; 4. Puma (United States) 83; 5. Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) 55; 6. Sanya (China) 25.
