Spirit of Hungary head to Invercargill Pit-Stop as Renault Captur re-start out of Wellington
2/23/15
Spirit of Hungary will pit-stop in to Invercargill, South Island NZ
Renault Captur left Wellington at 0500hrs UTC this morning
After at least four mast climbs between them, Nandor Fa and Conrad Colman have made the hard decision to bring Spirit of Hungary to Invercargill, South Island NZ, for a minimum downtime technical pit stop to remove and then repair or replace a damaged, jammed halyard lock car on their mast.
After at least four mast climbs between them, Nandor Fa and Conrad Colman have made the hard decision to bring Spirit of Hungary to Invercargill, South Island NZ, for a minimum downtime technical pit stop to remove and then repair or replace a damaged, jammed halyard lock car on their mast.
And as Spirit of Hungary today head for Invercargill, Renault Captur, Jorg Riechers and Sébastien Audigane, left the dock in Wellington, NZ at 0500hrs this morning, completing their technical pit stop required by their broken starboard rudder.
Spirit of Hungary are lying in seventh place in the Barcelona World Race around the world. By pit-stopping they seem set to forego an opportunity to catch or pass Renault Captur which stopped into Wellington and has just started sailing again:
"We are 'nickel' everything is good. We lost 2000 miles and two places but it has happened there is nothing we can do about that." said Renault Captur's Jorg Riechers just after they left the pontoon.
Fa and Colman were 550 miles from Invercargill at 0600hrs UTC this morning and so should be expected to arrive in about 35 hours, so Tuesday mid afternoon UTC. Spirit of Hungary has a favourable winds forecast for all but the last 50 miles in to their stop, averaging 25 kts of SWly.
The Hungarian-Kiwi duo have been battling for more than two days to fix or remove the damaged slider. Both skippers have made attempts to remove it or repair it to allow the mainsail to be hoisted and lowered properly. It is understood friends and family of New Zealander Colman will be on the dock to support them and they do not anticipate the pit-stop taking any longer than the mandatory minimum of 24 hours.
Teams info
10.04The Foussier Group continues its commitment alongside Sébastien Marsset…The Foussier Group today confirms the continuation of its commitment as title partner of Sébastien Marsset’s IMOCA for the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe 2026. This partnership reaffirms a model of “efficient sobriety” and a strong social commitment to inclusion.…29.03Canada Ocean Racing's winter refits and personal preparation for Scott: Building the foundations for what’s ahead…Over the winter, while the boat has been in refit, Scott Shawyer, president and skipper of Canada Ocean Racing, hasn’t stood still.…25.03Team Francesca Clapcich unveils bold new visual identity ahead of 2026 offshore race season…Team Francesca Clapcich Powered by 11th Hour Racing has unveiled its bold new racing livery after a four month winter refit.…23.03A second Japanese around the world: An international and multicultural program…And that makes two! Japanese skipper Masa Suzuki is launching his Vendée Globe 2028 campaign at the helm of a 2006 daggerboard IMOCA, “Milai 22.” He will be the second Japanese sailor to take on the challenge of sailing solo around the world non-stop. But what truly defines Masa Suzuki’s sporting project is his desire to bring cultures together — and even break down the barriers between them.…18.02A New IMOCA - Boris’ Vision…Five months before launch, Team Malizia is putting all their efforts into building a new IMOCA boat made to tackle the toughest offshore races.…18.02DMG MORI SAILING TEAM : 2026, a year for new challenges…A new IMOCA, crew races, new personalities to join the Team and the emergence of new young Japanese skippers, the DMG MORI Sailing Team is preparing an ambitious four-year cycle, as highlighted by its iconic Japanese skipper, Kojiro Shiraishi.…
News
4.10.26
An action-packed 2026 season ahead for IMOCA with five races including the Vendée Arctique, The Ocea…
Antoine Mermod, the President of the IMOCA Class, is looking forward to what will be his ninth season at the helm of the world's most exciting offshore ocean racing class, and says 2026 is going to be another action-pack…
•••News
3.25.26
Team Francesca Clapcich unveils bold new visual identity ahead of 2026 offshore race season
Team Francesca Clapcich Powered by 11th Hour Racing has unveiled its bold new racing livery after a four month winter refit.
•••