Blyth rounds Cape Horn

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33443, 26 January 1974, Page 48

Blyth rounds Cape Horn

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

PORTSMOUTH.

(hay Blyth in his ketch Great Britain II yesterday rounded ('ape Horn and headed towards Rio de Janeiro in the Whitbread round-the-world race.

Blyth rounded the cape in mountainous seas with the rest of the race fleet still 300 miles behind, the Royal Navy stand-by vessel H.M.S. Endurance reported.

Great Britain II lost about 200 miles of her lead as she battled the heavy seas off

Cape Hom, and she dropped down the handicap ratings for the leg from Sydney to Rio de Janeiro, but she is expected to find favourable conditions on the northward run and open up another lead.

The handicap lead in the race is held by Sayula 11, sailed by the Mexican millionaire, Ramon Carlin. The British yacht Adventure is second. France’s Grand Louis and Kriter are third and fourth, and Great Britain II is fifth. Sayula 11. Adventure, Grand Louis and Kirter are expected to round Cape Horn during the week-end. N.Z. CREW WAITS

I The only New Zealand [.yachtsmen in the race, Paul [Rosser and Peter Blake, are [waiting in Rio de Janeiro to [take part in the last leg, [according to advice received in Auckland yesterday. [ Their yacht, Burton Cutter, [withdrew from the Cape Town-Sydney section with I severe structural damage, ’and returned to Durban for [repairs. From there, they called at Cape Town, and then crossed the South Atlantic to compete in a race from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro. TABARLY TO SAIL

In Sydney, a member of the crew of Pen Duick VI said yesterday that the skipper, the Frenchman, Eric

Tabarly. was confident the 72ft ketch would sail early next week to rejoin the race.

The crew member said the yacht would leave Sydney on Tuesday or Wednesday. It is still awaiting a replacement for the mast broken on the third leg of the race, when Pen Duick was leading the field to New Zealand. He said that Tabarly had no other problems and was anxious to rejoin the race. “We will be re-entering the race merely to finish it. It would be impossible to win,” said the crew member.