Devon yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston has finally completed the 2nd leg of the Velux 5 Oceans race. Frustrated by head winds and then no wind at all, he crawled across the finish line in Norfolk, Virginia just before midnight on Friday 30 March 2007. Sir Robin had been at sea for 75 days, since leaving Fremantle, Australia on the 14,200 mile second leg of the grueling single-handed round the world race.  | | Sir Robin crosses the finish line (OnEdition) |
He was the fourth yachtsman to finish the leg, and his arrival time puts him in fourth place overall. He had been in third place at the end of the first leg. He's now taking a well earned break on dry land while his team carries out repairs to his yacht ahead of the final sprint home. Sir Robin said: "Coming ashore here there were so many friendly faces, it was great you couldn't ask for better. "It's been a nightmare from a racing perspective, too much time lost through faulty equipment and untrustworthy weather information. "I can't tell you how pleased I am that it's over. I thought it might be over about two days earlier, but the weather decided otherwise. "From a sailing point of view I have had some wonderful moments, but right now I just want to get away from the boat for a few days.  | | Champagne and gifts for Sir Robin (OnEdition) |
"I have been very frustrated by things that have gone wrong which shouldn't have gone wrong. Sailing is great, but racing has frustrated me and I'd like to put a few things right in this last leg. "The boat is great, she's a lot tougher than I thought and I'm beginning to realise that now and sail her a bit harder. "I suppose I was a little bit careful of her earlier on, but I'm getting tougher with her now and she's responding. So we'll see what happens in the last leg. "Physically I'm fine, there's nothing wrong with me, but I suppose I'd just say give an even break with the weather." With only a fast paced Atlantic sprint left to the finish of the Velux 5 Oceans in Bilbao, Sir Robin looks set to complete an historic circumnavigation. He says his aim now is to capture the overall third place at the end of the race. "The first thing to do is get away and have a break and just revitalise," he said.  | | Sir Robin meets the press (OnEdition) |
"I have a great team backing me up now, they will look after the boat for me for the next few days. We've already decided what they've got to do. "In a way, after a trip like this where so much has gone wrong, you just need to get away from the sea, because once you deprive me of the sea I want it. "I'll come back all enthusiastic and we'll see what we can do in this last sprint." Race leader is Swiss sailor Bernard Stamm; Kojiro Shiraisi from Japan is in second; and Basque yachtsman Unai Basurko has overtaken Sir Robin in third spot. New Zealander Graham Dalton is in fifth place. He has had to put into port in Brazil, after his yacht was damaged in a collision with a mystery object. The Velux 5 Oceans is the longest and toughest event, for any individual in any sport. By the end of the race the skippers will have sailed 30,000 miles of ocean alone, facing all the extremes that nature can throw at them. | 
