At 15:25 local time, or 13:25 GMT, ABN AMRO ONE blew into Cape Town over 49 miles ahead of its nearest competitor – ABN AMRO TWO. Skipper Mike Sanderson and crew looked tired, dirty and scruffy – but extremely happy. Just off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa, past the former penal colony of Robben Island, ABN AMRO ONE entered the port in the early afternoon and was greeted by a large crowd on the docks. The skies were cloudless, the sun bright.
The boat pulled up to the centre of the wharf after coasting into the finish line with light winds. The crew had hoped for stronger winds for a photo finish, but were happy to have completed their 6400-plus nautical mile journey in one piece – and in first place.
The entire journey, which began from Galicia, Spain on 12 November, took about 19 days to reach South Africa. The boat crossed a large number of African countries along the way, as well as passing through the scoring gate of Fernando de Noronha off the coast of Brazil.
With this win, ABN AMRO ONE has won seven points.
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