Around Alone Leg 4 - Van Liew scores 4th victory in a row

by Mary Ambler 15 Mar 2003 20:32 GMT

• PINDAR CONSOLIDATES OVERALL 3RD AFTER 4TH PLACE FINISH IN LEG 4
• GREEN LIGHT FOR SPIRIT OF CANADA AS HATFIELD GIVEN NEW MAST AND SAILS - PHOTOS OF DISMASTED BOAT NOW ONLINE

Photos © Mark Pepper / Marinepics Brad Van Liew's 4th win in a row Emma Richards consolidates 3rd overall

At 12:16:56 local time (15:16:56 GMT) American Class 2 overall leader Brad Van Liew scored his 4th leg victory in Around Alone with Open 50 Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America, completing the longest 7,880 mile leg with an 800 mile lead over his nearest rival Tim Kent on Everest Horizontal. Van Liew is now the only skipper in either class to have won every leg so far.

In Van Liew's final log of Leg 4 he summed up the experience of racing Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America one third of the way around the world to another class win: "Merely surviving is an achievement, getting to the destination is rewarding and winning the leg is icing on the cake that has me buzzing internally."

As a veteran of Around Alone, Leg 4 from Tauranga, NZ to Salvador in Brazil held some chilling memories for Van Liew as it was rounding Cape Horn in Around Alone 1998/9 that his boat dismasted. Van Liew often commented on the extremes of cold and heat as the fleet had to race through the icy Southern Ocean as well as the tropical heat in the South Atlantic. Just in the last week he faced 115 degree temperatures below deck and 100% humidity that left him sweating so profusely he couldn't drink enough water to rehydrate. "Being physically and mentally challenged to the max, while navigating the boat through extremes like no other, was the hardest yet most rewarding part of this Leg."

So after the traditional Bahian greeting by Dayse and the CENAB organisation in the sweltering midday heat, Van Liew is already sipping a caipirinha and catching up with the four Class 1 skippers here in Salvador.

Emma Richards, skipper of Pindar, came to greet her American friend at the docks after she herself had finished Leg 4 in 4th position at 16:51:40 local time (19:51:40) yesterday just before sunset. A consistent and solid performance by the youngest skipper in the fleet - and only female - Emma has now firmly consolidated her 3rd place on the overall podium. "It was only until Simone arrived well after Bernard's penalty time had run out that I could relax and just focus on getting Pindar to the finish in my own time. I feel pretty confident about my position now and am looking forward to a well earned break in Brazil before tackling the final leg."

The first images of Derek Hatfield on board dismasted Open 40 Spirit of Canada are now online, and his story has become probably the most compelling of the race so far. Once again, Andrew Pindar, sponsor of Emma Richards, has stepped in to the breach and has offered to fund a new mast: "It was just the right thing to do," Andrew Pindar said. "Getting Derek back in the race was an outcome we all wanted and I knew that if I could play a part in it, I would have to help." Moreover, all of this negotiation for a new mast was carried out by a former Around Alone veteran, Josh Hall, who knew exactly what was needed, having twice lost his mast aboard his boat Gartmore (which is now Pindar).

Hatfield was ecstatic about the news. "I have ordered a new carbon mast from King Harken in Buenos Aires. They are the same mast builders that built Brad's (Van Liew) replacement mast four years ago. We will have the mast delivered here to Ushuaia as soon as possible and get back out to the spot where we lost the rig and proceed sailing from there to Salvador, thus completing Leg 4." Derek also had more good news to report. "The second good news call came from Decoma International, who, along with Magna International, have offered to support the Spirit of Canada with a new mainsail and the two new jibs that were lost with the mast."

The official website at www.aroundalone.com holds the full stories and images about the arrivals, Spirit of Canada progress and news from the fleet still at sea.

POSITIONS AT 1400GMT 15th MARCH 2003:

You can track the race boats using RayTech 4.1 navigational software by going to the Positions page online and clicking on the link to the Raymarine website at the top of the main chart.