The Ocean Race: GUYOT environnement-Team Europe to return to Cape Town during Leg 3 after issue with hull

GUYOT environnement-Team Europe have suspended racing in Leg 3 of The Ocean Race and are returning to Cape Town where the stage began.

All teams are participating in the longest leg in the event’s history and are embarking on an arduous journey from Cape Town in South Africa to Itajai in Brazil, which equates to 12,750 nautical miles and will take over a month to complete.

However, with the sun rising on Wednesday morning, an issue with GUYOT Team Europe’s IMOCA has forced the team to suspend racing and begin the return to where they originally set off.

A statement on The Ocean Race’s official website read: “This morning at 07:30 local time [5:30am UK time], while the boat was racing in winds of 20-25 knots on Leg 3 of The Ocean Race, the crew on board heard two consecutive noises.

“After an inspection of the boat, they discovered abnormal movements in the hull bottom in the living area.

“After a discussion with the design and technical team, the team came to the conclusion that it was a hull sandwich failure.”

Thomas Cardrin, the technical director from GUYOT Team Europe, confirmed the team would return to Cape Town.

He said: “Given the current position of the boat and the distance to the arrival in Itajai, unfortunately it is better for the crew and the integrity of the boat to turn back to Cape Town.”

The statement added: “The technical team will wait for the boat to make a more detailed inspection, and choose an action plan for the repairs.

“The crew of Benjamin Dutreux, Robert Stanjek, Sebastien Simon, Annie Lush and on-board reporter Charles Drapeau are safe and the team anticipates being able to get the boat back to Cape Town – just over 600 nautical miles to the north-west – safely.”

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