Initial assessment for Temenos II good; Mutua Madrileña to stop in Wellington

[Source: Barcelona World Race] It seems as if Temenos II will be able to rejoin the Barcelona World Race. The initial assessment of their keel problem is very positive, with the boatbuilders and engineers giving all indications they will be safe to continue racing. The damaged area of the keel has been ground back and ultrasound has been used to check the area. No serious fissure or crack has been detected. The corrosion appears to be a superficial problem and their team is starting to fix it now.

"This is a big relief for us," said Michèle Paret. "We are very happy to be able to continue the Barcelona World Race."

On the other hand, Mutua Madrileña has decided to pull into the pit lane in Wellington to check all the boat’s systems and repair a few little issues on board before heading onto Cape Horn.

Skippers Javier Sansó and Pachi Rivero are due to reach the capital of New Zealand at 2200 GMT today. But first, they will cross the fifth scoring gate in Cook Strait. Although it should only take about 10 hours to go over the boat, race regulations mean a compulsory minimum stop of 48 hours as a form of penalty.