Fujifilm finishes 2nd leg of Round Britain and Ireland Race
by Alex Bennett Ocean Racing 12 Jun 2010 11:22 BST
12 June 2010
Fujifilm crosses second leg finish line in fourth place
International yachtsman Alex Bennett from Plymouth and his co skipper Malcolm Dickinson have raced across the finish line of the 2nd leg of the Shetland Round Britain and Ireland Race in 4th place in the Class 40s. It was another close finish for Fujifilm and they crossed the line in Castlebay, Barra at 7:07am on Saturday with the 3rd and 5th boats both in sight.
Alex and Malcolm now have 48 hours in the Outer Hebrides to make some vital repairs. There is another small tear in Fujifilm’s mainsail and one of the autopilots is not working properly. This 2nd leg from Kinsale to Barra has been tough with Fujifilm seeing near storm force winds. Alex and Malcolm have again had little sleep and will be trying to get some rest during the stopover.
Alex said: “It was another close one, we reeled in the boat in front overnight but they just piped us to the post. I’m really pleased we’ve managed to gain two places since Kinsale, there have been some big seas and debilitating upwind sailing in this leg.”
The conditions took their toll on other boats in the fleet with a number of retirements and a dismasting. Fujifilm is in the lead group, the rest of the fleet are expected to arrive in Barra over the next day or so. This 12th RBI had a record entry of 56 yachts.
In 48 hours time at 7.07am on Monday morning Fujifilm is due to leave Barra for the 3rd stopover in Lerwick in the Shetland Islands. This year Shetland is the title sponsor of the race. A film has been made about the race which prominently features Alex and Fujifilm. It can be viewed on www.alexbennett.co.uk