VAN LIEW CHALLENGED BY MAINSAIL CRISIS
AT START LINE IN CAPE TOWN
Mileage deficit already reduced as he tackles competition
and moves into 2nd place
New York, N.Y. (December 16, 2002)
- Brad Van Liew is no rookie when it comes to starting each
leg of the Around Alone race. In fact, he has done it more
times than anyone else competing in the event - seven to be
exact. The pre-start sequence is systematic. The crew joins
him onboard at the dock, they are towed out of the harbor
with the engine sealed, the mainsail is hoisted, the crew
is plucked and Brad is on his way when the start gun is fired.
On Saturday, December 14, this routine was interrupted by
a crisis onboard that required immediate assistance if Van
Liew was going to start the race.
As Van Liew hoisted the mainsail, studying
the fabric as it passed each spreader, he noticed a grave
problem with the leech line, a special rope inside the mainsail
that allows Van Liew to trim the sail shape for optimum speed.
Without the ability to tension the leech line, the mainsail
aboard Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America would quite simply flog
itself into pieces, rendering Brad powerless in the Southern
Ocean. Discovering this problem merely 30 minutes before the
start was alarming. The crew pounced on the sail repair kit
and began to devour the task at hand - ripping open seams
in the sail and re-sewing them by hand.
The crew also called their sail specialist
team for added manpower. Within 20 minutes a speedy boat arrived
with the Quantum Sail loft crew onboard. Additionally, the
crew from Emma Richards' Pindar team diverted to assist with
the repair. It is a tradition in the Around Alone race for
rival teams to assist each other in times of crisis. At times
this has meant diverting course to rescue someone from their
sinking boat. In this situation, luckily it was merely to
see someone cross the start line.
Once the fervent crew was onboard and
panic set in, Van Liew halted all action for some sensible
direction. "Everyone stop what you are doing! We are
not going to make the start and it is okay. I have more than
7,000 miles to sail. I don't want a quick fix that will compromise
the boat. Let's do a thorough check and a full quality repair.
I will start when it is done and we all feel good about it."
One hour and 43 minutes after the start
gun had fired, the expanded crew was plucked off Tommy Hilfiger
Freedom America and Van Liew began his 7,125 mile race to
New Zealand. The setback placed him well behind the fleet,
an uncomfortable spot for the consistent leader.
Since Saturday, Van Liew has tackled
the mileage deficit and passed three of his rivals. He holds
2nd place in Class II. He is merely 32 miles behind the class
leader, Derek Hatfield. Leg three from South Africa to New
Zealand is expected to take 35 days through some of the roughest
ocean on earth. One hour and 43 minutes is not a large deficit
in the scheme of things to come.
To track Van Liew's progress and to get daily updates from
the Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America yacht, please visit www.tommy.com/freedomamerica.
Brad will be feeding the site with diary entries and photos
taken aboard the yacht. Graphic depictions and footage of
Brad and his adventures at sea are available upon request.
About Tommy Hilfiger
Tommy Hilfiger Corporation, through its subsidiaries, designs,
sources and markets men's and women's sportswear, jeanswear
and childrenswear under the Tommy Hilfiger trademarks. Through
a range of strategic licensing agreements, the Company also
offers a broad array of related apparel, accessories, footwear,
fragrance and home furnishings. The Company's products can
be found in leading department and specialty stores throughout
the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Central and South
America, Japan, Hong Kong and other countries in the Far East,
as well as the Company's own network of specialty and outlet
stores in the United States, Canada and Europe.
