THERE
IS GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS
15th March 2003
Tommy
Hilfiger Freedom America crossed the finish line
in Salvador at 12:16:56 local time to win Leg
4 - Class 2. Story and pictures to follow.
Original
story: There is some very good news to report,
and unfortunately some bad news. Ironically the
two stories are about the same issue; dismasted
boats. First the good news. It appears all but
certain that Derek Hatfield will be rejoining
the race with a new mast. How this all came about
is just another one of a long list of stories
that exemplify the true spirit of this event.
I will get to that in a moment, but now the bad
news. Graham Dalton has today officially withdrawn
from the Around Alone race. Speaking from Puerto
Madryn where Hexagon is currently berthed Graham
said: "I'm absolutely gutted that the race
is over for me. It was just one of those things
and certainly not down to a lack of preparation
or attention to detail. I've been saying to the
children I've been in contact with through the
Global Education Challenge, that you aren't successful
because of your successes; you're successful ultimately
in the way you deal with failure. Well I certainly
have to practice what I preach and I'm now working
towards completing my circumnavigation."
Getting
a new mast built in time for the restart in Salvador
proved to be a monumental task. The logistics
of building the carbon-fiber mast, getting it
to the small seaside town in Argentina, rigging
the boat, getting new sails and sailing it more
than 2000 miles to Brazil in time for the start
on April 13 were too much even for a determined
and resourceful person such as Dalton. Instead
Graham plans to have a new mast built at a more
staid pace and once it is installed on the boat
and the boat is ready he will continue on and
finish his solo circumnavigation. It’s not
what Dalton set out to do, but completing a solo
circumnavigation is no mean feat and Graham should
be commended for getting this far and doing so
with such style.
Derek
Hatfield, on the other hand, is in a mad scramble
to get his boat ready and back out onto the racecourse.
Fortunately building a new mast for a 40-footer
is easier than building one for an Open 60, but
it’s still a major undertaking. Since his
disastrous capsize off Cape Horn less than a week
ago, the outpouring of support has been massive
mostly because Hatfield is an easy guy to support.
He is quiet, articulate, easy going and determined,
and he has one extra ingredient that sets him
apart from many of his peers; he has great integrity.
It was these characteristics that Andrew Pindar,
the sponsor of Emma Richard’s boat saw in
the Canadian skipper and is a very generous gesture
Andrew offered to pay for a new mast. Once again
Emma’s team have come to the rescue of another
competitor – the first time being when Pindar
made his converted seagoing tug, the Hatherleigh,
available to the Tiscali team to transport Bernard
Stamm’s spare rig to Spain. "It was
just the right thing to do," Andrew Pindar
said. "Getting Derek back in the race was
an outcome we all wanted and I knew that if I
could play a part in it, I would have to help."
It’s no small part either. New carbon masts
do not come cheap but then it was not about the
money. It’s about the spirit of the race
and the deep bond that has formed between not
only the competitors, but between all the people
involved with this race, sponsors included.
Hatfield
of course was ecstatic about the news. "Just
today I have ordered a new carbon mast from King
Harken in Buenos Aries," he said. "They
are the same mast builders that built Brad's (Van
Liew) replacement mast four years ago after he
dismasted at the beginning of Leg 4 in Punta del
Este. We will have the mast delivered here to
Ushuaia as soon as possible and get back out to
the spot where we lost the rig and proceed sailing
from there to Salvador, thus completing Leg 4."
Derek also had more good news to report. "The
second good news call came from Al Power at Decoma
International," he said. "Decoma International,
along with Magna International, have offered to
support the Spirit of Canada with a new mainsail
and the two new jibs that were lost with the mast."
What makes this story so compelling is that all
of this negotiation for a new mast was carried
out by a former Around Alone veteran, Josh Hall.
Josh is no stranger to dismastings having twice
lost his mast aboard his boat Gartmore (now Pindar).
If anyone knows how heartbreaking it could be
to have your race come to such an abrupt end it’s
Josh, and if anyone know what needs to be done
to get the boat back sailing again, it’s
the same person. Derek’s update continues:
One of the first calls that I received after reaching
land was from Josh Hall from Team Pindar. Josh,
with all his sailing experience, knew exactly
what was needed in this situation and has been
advising me on what steps are needed for a successful
return to the race course." Much work still
lies ahead, but if all goes well Hatfield will
return to the spot where he was dismasted, turn
the bows north and complete Leg 4 as a finisher.
It may be last place but it will count as a finish
and that will allow him to go into the final leg
with a better than even chance at a podium finish
overall.
---
Brian Hancock great.circle@verizon.net
Source:
Around
Alone Official Site
