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Light winds all the way to the Doldrums were followed straight after by the mother of all gales which turned the Portsmouth to Cape Town leg from a donkey trot into a full scale demolition derby. There was widespread damage with a series of dismastings and delamination problems, forcing the race committee in Cape Town to put the South African Navy on standby for emergencies. Fortunately, they were not required, but as soon as UBS Switzerland and Lion crossed the finish line, 16 hours apart after 34 days of racing, the boatyards went into action in a bid to have the full fleet raring to go again at the start of December.