Volvo Ocean Race: MAPFRE suspends racing to repair damaged mast

Volvo Ocean Race team MAPFRE has suspended racing in leg seven of the round-the-world race to repair a damaged mast.

MAPFRE have tried to limit the impact of damage to a section of their mast track that came unglued from the mast five days ago but about 3200km off the finish line in Brazil, skipper Xabi Fernandez said they now had to suspend races to repair the track and mainsail more effectively.

✔️ Minimum 12 hours out of the race ⏰
✔️ 6 miles west of Cape Horn, 2,000 miles to Itajaí 🎯
✔️ Shore crew at the ready 💪

BREAKING: @desafioMAPFRE temporarily suspends racing on #Leg7 to fix a damaged mast track ➡️ https://t.co/xebUqPG31u pic.twitter.com/32VN8dGDl6

— The Ocean Race (@theoceanrace) March 29, 2018

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New Zealand sailor Blair Tuke is part of the MAPFRE team. Photo / Getty

MAPFRE will have to stay out of the race for at least 12 hours and return to the same place before they can resume racing.

Given the speed of the other boats, the delay could knock the overall race leader back significantly.

However, the forecast could work in MAPFRE's favour as a ridge of high pressure is expected to slow the frontrunners and allow the trailing boats to catch up.

"A complete restart just after the Falklands," is how Team Brunel skipper and leg leader Bouwe Bekking described it.

Meanwhile, each of the other teams have now rounded Cape Horn - paying tribute to Scallywag's John Fisher, who was lost overboard on Monday.

Bekking said it was an important stage to get past.

"Well, we are finally around that Cape Horn. It didn't come easy this leg, as everybody knows, it was a windy one," he said.

"It's like a mental milestone, you're coming from the Southern Ocean and every mile you sail north the weather gets warmer and the finish of the race at The Hague is literally a step closer. It's a magical picture and a highlight for every sailor.

"But even if we had a little celebration when we went past, we also had a toast to John Fisher, who we keep thinking about."

Time of crossing the longitude of Cape Horn (provisional):

Team Brunel: 13:01 UTC (Team Brunel earns one point)
Vestas 11th Hour Racing: 15:01 UTC
Dongfeng Race Team: 15:45 UTC
team AkzoNobel: 17:22 UTC
Turn the Tide on Plastic: 17:35 UTC
MAPFRE: (suspended racing west of Cape Horn)
Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag: (suspended racing)