Vendée Globe

Derek forced to make a pit stop in New Zealand

Derek forced to make a pit stop in New Zealand
© OLIVIER BLANCHET / DPPI / Vendée Globe
March 05. 2009

Determined to sail his monohull back to port alone, Derek Hatfield set out from Hobart aboard Algimouss-Spirit of Canada 6 days ago. He has been suffering upwind conditions with a lot of slamming, but it is a problem with the autopilots that is his major concern today. "The first night proved challenging when the autopilots would not drive the boat under true wind setting so it was difficult to get any rest or to work on the other systems on the boat. The autopilots have still not been resolved after 6 days at sea and we are now without wind instruments so the decision has been made to make a stop, this time in New Zealand to try once and for all to sort the electronics out before setting off again. Alone in the southern ocean is not a place to be when the boat is not completely sorted, the conditions here are unforgiving and these boats are so finely tuned that if you leave yourself exposed for any length of time something will break."

Book your stay in Vendée Vendée Globe Junior CCI Vendée Vendée Expansion Becoming a partner Sign up for the Vendée Globe newsletter 2012 trailer Official Poster 2012 - 2013