Cam Lewis and crew on Team Adventure crossed the finish line of The Race in Marseilles yesterday evening 82 days 20 hours 21 minutes and 2 seconds after starting, taking 3rd place. Around 100 boats were out to welcome the American giant, in beautiful sunshine and a rather fickle wind.

The crew made two halts on the way round, first at Cape Town and then in Wellington, both times to repair delamination of the main beam. They started out with a crew of 14 and finished with 9, after leaving Rob Miles (USA), Mikaël Lundh (Swe), Jeffrey Wargo (USA), Rick Deppe (USA) behind in Cape Town because of injuries sustained when ‘going down the mine’ in the big seas. Another crew, Yann Eliès (F), left in Wellington because of a slipped disk.

“We were doing 32 knots when we nose dived for the first time right up to the foot of the mast in a first big wave; it stopped us but didn’t break anything. Then we found ourselves with the bows under the water in a second wave and this time, the main beam fairing suffered,” explained Jacques Vincent.

“The boat made it safely back to port and yet not many people were betting on such an eventuality before the start. Apart from the delamination problems, we didn’t break anything and the sails are in excellent shape, even though we were attempting a first by taking sails in cuben fibre around the world

“What is remarkable and totally different from other boats that we know, is that it needs at least half to three quarters of an hour to carry out the slightest manoeuvre,” explained Jean-Yves Bernot. “Secondly, the speed of the boat allowing one to play with the weather systems, going in and then out and even coming back in again on demand.”

The Race in figures for Team Adventure: 29,773 miles covered at an average speed of 14.97 knots.

The crew: Cam Lewis (USA) Skipper Larry Rosenfeld (USA) Randy Smyth (USA) Jean-Yves Bernot (F) Jacques Vincent (F) Lionel Lemonchois (F) Philippe Peche (F) Fred Carrere (F) Rob Miles (USA) * Yann Eliès (F)* Mickaël Lundh (Su)* Jeffrey Wargo (USA)* Rick Deppe (USA)* Fred Brousse (F)

*Members of crew who left the boat during the Cape Town and Wellington stops.

Meanwhile, repairs to Polish catamaran Warta-Poplpharma are finished and the crew is ready to go again. “We haven’t yet received the mainsail cars that we are expecting from France. Never mind, we’ll do without, we are used to it. We are still in the race and we don’t want to loose a minute more, despite the extraordinary reception the Brazilians have given us here,” said crewman Dariusz Drapella during yesterday’s chat show.