Skipper Kevin Shoebridge reports from onboard Tyco:

It’s nearly been 24 hours since we first started having problems with the rudder. Reality has set in today as we limp north towards Port Elizabeth in South Africa. We have the situation well in hand and are sailing under genoa staysail which is providing six to seven knots of speed.

The rudder is still crackling behind the watertight door and we await flat water to make the next move. It is our intention to get the rudder out of the boat at first opportunity to reduce any more damage should we encounter strong wind and waves. The worst scenario is to have the shaft snap inside the boat, this would then allow the blade to thrash around under the boat and pssibly make a large hole by ripping out the lower bearing. Plenty of time now to think about ‘if only’.

We will get the boat to Sydney and fight right back into this race where we feel we belong. Plenty to go yet in this long race and more boats will have misfortune.