China Team, ready to sail the day after their major capsize

11:41 PM Wed 14 Sep 2011 GMT

'America&rsquo;s Cup World Series, Plymouth England - copyright Ricardo Pinto /ACEA - China Team capsize' Ricardo Pinto

China Team, the official Chinese challenger for the 34th America's Cup, is ready to sail the day after it incurred considerable damage on its wing and hull due to a full blown nose dive followed by a full cartwheel.
The impact of the rig on the water was so hard that the rig just folded. The boat was battered, but the whole crew was safe and uninjured. The wing was destroyed and the extent of the damage on the wing was very visible as the boat sailed back to the base, while the damaged hull only came into light after thorough inspection. While the wing had to be replaced completely, and that in itself is an 8 hour job, the team, supported by ACRM, had to work through the night to ensure that the repairs to the hull would be completed on time.

Official press sources said, 'Some said that China Team being on the racing line today would depend on a miracle; it was not a miracle but the hard work of the entire team supported by ACRM that made this happen. But it feels like a miracle.'

'We were happy to be back on the water after yesterday's nasty capsize and we worked as hard as we could,' said China Team skipper Charlie Ogletree. 'We were a little slow today. Conditions today were much different (from the weekend) and the other teams figured out better tactics to handle it.'

by China Team ACWS Media