‘Round the World News

It’s been awhile since we’ve updated you on the various ‘Round the World races currently underway. In the doublehanded Barcelona World Race, Jean-Pierre Dick and Loïck Peyron aboard Virbac-Paprec 3 are holding on to a 166-mile lead as they transit the doldrums with multiple Olympic medalists and Volvo Race veterans Iker Martínez and Xabi Fernández stalking them aboard MAPFRE. Hanging in third, some 900 miles behind the leaders are Pachi Rivero and Toño Piris aboard the Renault Z.E. Sailing Team. The lone American in the fleet, Ryan Breymaier, sailing with Boris Herrmann aboard Neutrogena, is currently in a battle for fourth place despite nursing a dodgy keel. Five boats out of the 15 starters have retired, and the race has taken its toll on the entire fleet. Although it’s nominally a non-stop race, the boats are allowed a "technical stop," which more than a few teams have had to use, including the leaders.

The Velux 5 Oceans Race "Ocean Sprint 4" gets going again from Punta Del Este, Uruguay on March 27, and lone American and race leader Brad Van Liew will be looking to add another leg victory to the three he’s already amassed.

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Thomas Coville has been locked in a furious battle with "virtual" competitior Francis Joyon in a bid to better the latter’s ’08 singlehanded ’round the world mark of 57d, 13h, 34m. After overcoming a 1400-mile deficit to Joyon’s reference time — this in spite of missing skins on the crash box portion of his starboard ama’s bow — Coville has dropped about 400 miles behind the reference time as he struggled to get across the equator. Coville’s 105-ft trimaran Sodeb’O had a relatively fast transit of the South Atlantic, where Joyon was beset with light air and rig issues that forced him to make three trips to the top of his mast. But Joyon had a pretty straightforward and fast trip up the North Atlantic in ’08 and Coville will really need to put the pedal down to get home faster than Joyon did.