Close finish in New York-Barcelona Challenge

Overcoming a series of mishaps to finish just nine hours after rivals Estrella Damm, the crew of W-Hotels sailed into Barcelona this morning, becoming the runner up in the inaurgural New York – Barcelona Transoceanic Sailing Record Challenge.

From Sail-World.com:

A rudder repair and being broached by a huge wave when the one rudder they had at that point was left airborne as their IMOCA Open 60 was tossed bodily sideways, and the resulting loss of their key Solent headsail, compounded to cost them over 100 miles. But they fought back to re-gain the lost miles in full, but could never find a way to get back on to the same stretch of Mediterranean in the same capricious breezes as their wily rivals on Estrella Damm to make their perceived light winds speed advantage finally tell on the slow ascent from Tarifa to Barcelona. 

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By Ocean Navigator