Sir Robin Knox-Johnston rounds Cape Horn but pulls into Ushuaia to carry out essential repairs 19/2/07

On Saturday Sir Robin Knox-Johnston announced that he was going to pull into Ushuaia, the southernmost port in Argentina to carry out some vital repairs which means that he will temporarily lose his third place. In Saturday’s log he said:

1. I cannot be competitive without weather information. Neither of my
satellite systems that would give me this is working. We can fix them with the right spares we hope. This is the main reason for pulling in, bloody electronics that don’t work

2. You only have to look at the way Koji has slowed as he hits the variables to appreciate how vital this weather info is

3. I can get a new head car for the mainsail and fit it

4. I can get a new furler for the reachers

5. I can fix the ballast tank valve

6. I can try and find time for a haircut

7. I can try and get back to 3rd again with my systems working, there’s 7,000 miles to go yet to Norfolk and I will be the hunter again

Knox-Johnston rounded Cape Horn yesterday afternoon and celebrated in the same way as he did in 1969 but he is now under tow up the Beagle Channel towards Ushuaia where he will stop for an obligatory 48-hours to carry out essential repairs to his yacht Saga Insurance.

As with the last pit stop he hopes to be able to make up the time and catch the fleet in the remaining 7,000 miles of the Velux 5 Oceans race.

Simon Clay from Sir Robin’s shore team flew to Ushuaia to join him but had the panic of arriving in Buenos Aires only to discover that all the entire flight’s baggage had been left in Madrid, including all the boat spares. Thankfully Saga Insurance used their travel contacts in Argentina to help rescue the parts, which have now thankfully made it to Ushuaia.