Team Save the Children skipper, Paul KELLY (GBR) and his crew have been blessed with some breeze and are about to cross the line
'The absolute irony of ocean racing,' said Ronelda VISSER of Peridot Communications in Cape Town today. 'After the first ten yachts arrived in excruciatingly slow winds, Mother Nature has decided to smile kindly on the last two arrivals Team Save the Children and VAIO, both of whom are literally flying towards the finish line at the moment.'
'The reason,' continued Ronelda, 'is the notorious southeaster known as the Cape Doctor. First indications of a southeaster building up came at lunchtime when the first wisp of cloud became visible at the top of Table Mountain. Within three hours the famous table cloth of clouds were pouring over the mountain, almost obscuring it and the wind is now pumping and boat speeds have picked up to ten knots.'
Team Save the Children is now just a few miles from the finish line and trucking along at an average speed of 9.9 knots. They are expected to cross the line any minute now so friends, family and supporters are gearing up to see them in and RIBs are making their way out to greet the team.
Also on the pontoons waiting for their arrival is Sarah RAYMOND (GBR), who was injured in Buenos Aires but will be rejoining her team to complete the race at the start of the next leg, and Adrian ALBRIGHTON (GBR), who was airlifted off the yacht at the beginning of the leg after injuring his hip.
Yesterday there were three more finishers. Me To You took eighth place and BG SPIRIT, winners of leg three, crossed the line in ninth place, just fifteen minutes before Samsung after forty days of racing.