The Official
Website of the
International
Sailing Federation

With the work finally complete and the deadline looming, movistar was manoeuvred onboard the freighter on the 2 December at Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain. Twelve days and 5,100 nm later, she arrived in Cape Town.

At 2030 hours local time yesterday evening, the team started the mammoth operation of unloading and moving her to a new home at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.

'We are feeling really good,' explained BEKKING. 'It is really good to have the boat here and also now the team. It will be nice to have it back in the water and go sailing.'

Although hugely disappointed to be out of the first leg, the extra time has enable BEKKING and his team to do a thorough inspection of the boat prior to the in port race and the leg restart into the Southern Ocean on the 2 January 2006.

'Most of the work was completed before we left but today we have taken the hydraulic canting rams out and are checking them because we have the same ones as Ericsson and it has not been possible to check them sooner as we have been on the freight ship,' said BEKKING.

Looking forward to the next week and the build up the in port race BEKKING concluded, 'The plan is now to get out sailing. We will head out to sea looking for some waves and big breeze to really test the boat. When the boat was brand new people asked if we were happy to go into the Southern Ocean with it and we said yes. Now we have made alterations I feel we are even stronger and I am just looking forward to getting back out there.'

For a complete list of all the news about the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006 CLICK HERE.