Durban wins Southern Ocean leg
19 December 2005
The Durban Clipper claimed a nail-biting victory in the Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race on Friday, edging out the Canadian entry, Victoria, by four nautical miles to win the leg from Durban to Fremantle, Australia.
With the Canadians closing the gap on Craig Millar and his crew, it was a tight battle to the finish. Steering problems for Victoria helped the South Africans stay just ahead and capture the honours. It brought the curtain down on a superb leg for the Durban Clipper.
A warm welcome awaited the winners, who entered Fremantle decked out in Santa Claus hats. They were treated to an Aussie barbeque and plenty of cold beer.
Treacherous
The Southern Ocean crossing is regarded as one of the most treacherous stretches of ocean in yachting. Despite towering waves and big winds, the Durban Clipper led for most of the leg, needing just 20 days to reach Fremantle. Indeed, at times the yacht reached
speeds of up to 30 knots.
Durban Clipper skipper Craig Millar was ecstatic after his team's inspiring victory, but admitted to feeling a little homesick. He said he was dog-tired, but feeling really elated by the win.
"I would like to give a big thanks to all our supporters back home. You guys have been great," he said.
The final week, said Millar, was tension-filled, with the Victoria Clipper trimming the Durban Clipper's lead day-by-day.
'We had to fight'
"When they appeared on the horizon this morning we thought they might just snatch the lead from us at the last moment. We really had to fight for those last few miles," he added.
With a week to go and a 70-mile lead, Millar admitted that he and his crew thought they had the win all but sealed, but in the end it was a massive relief to edge out the Canadians and the rest of the chasing crews.
The next leg starts at 5am GMT on 1 January 2006, with the crews of the
10-yacht race setting sail for Singapore.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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