Ericsson 3 has departed its adopted boatyard in Hualien, Taiwan to begin the belated finish to Leg 4 to Qingdao.
Magnus Olsson and his crew must first reach the waypoint 60 miles north of Taiwain where they suspended racing on 27 January before officially resuming their passage to China.
They are currently motor sailing and are expected to reach the waypoint by 19:00 GMT.
Joining Olsson and navigator Aksel Magdahl on board are boat captain Jens Dolmer, helmsman Thomas Johanson, Anders Dahlsjo, Martin Krite, Martin Stromberg and media crew member Gustav Morin.
“We have really worked like maniacs,” Olsson said. “The boatbuilders and sailors have fought around the clock and now we’re back on track. I really want to give all the guys credit for a fantastic job.”
By reaching Qingdao and completing the leg they will collect the four points on offer for fifth place. After two weeks of repairs they are still racing against the clock in an effort to reach Qingdao for the start of Leg 5 to Rio on Saturday. At this stage their ETA is late Friday night or early Saturday morning local time.
Team meteorologist Chris Bedford is predicting a relatively fast passage, raising the prospect of the boat reaching Qingdao with enough turn-around time to join the rest of the fleet for the leg start. But it’s going to be tight.
