 Organisers predict more world records will be broken during the race |
Skipper Mike Sanderson and his ABN Amro One crew broke a world speed record as they continued to head the Volvo Ocean Race on leg one from Vigo to Cape Town. Sanderson clocked 538 nautical miles in 24 hours to reclaim the mark for the distance sailed in a day by a monohull.
But the boat almost came to grief when it hit a shark while doing 25 knots.
Sanderson said: "We heard the thud on the keel. It didn't really slow the boat down, but you could feel it shaking the boat."
New Zealander Sanderson first took the record as racing helmsman on the Mari Cha IV in 2003, covering 525.7 miles in a day.
The 34-year-old said: "Breaking this record is absolutely awesome."
Sanderson's old record was subsequently overhauled by Dutchman Bouwe Bekking, on another Volvo 70-footer, movistar, with 530 miles earlier this year.
But on Sunday both ABN Amro One and ABN Amro Two beat that mark, Frenchman skipper Seb Josse also skippering the second boat over 533 miles in a 24 hour period.
Organisers say further records could be broken in the optimum wind conditions.
MMIX
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