Matthew experiences highs and lows of Global Challenge race
By Brian Flett
(from The Orcadian dated January, 18 2001)

The Orkney crewman taking part in the BT Global Challenge has experienced elation and extreme disappointment in the space of 24 hours this week during the closing stages of the Third Leg of the Round-the-World Yacht Race from South America to New Zealand.

30-year-old Matthew Hunt, who is a former pupil of Dounby Primary and Kirkwall Grammar School, gave up his job as an investment banker in London, to join the 17 other crew of the 72-foot Olympic Group yacht.

Olympic Group looked set to take first place after a tactical decision to remain north of the fleet as they approached the Chatham Islands.

The yacht’s skipper Manley Hopkinson and his crew were able to take advantage of more favourable winds while the rest of the fleet was squeezed by an area of low pressure.

LG Flatron got the opening they were looking for to overtake Olympic Group when their No. 3 Yankee sail disintegrated in 60-knot gusts in the Cook Strait. As Olympic Group’s crew grappled to douse the shredded sail, LG Flatron sneaked past into first place reaching Wellington Harbour at 4:53:39 GMT on Tuesday morning.

Olympic Group, with Matthew Hunt at the helm, crossed the finish line less than two hours later at 6:52:12 GMT, to take second place after 36 days of sailing from Buenos Aires to Wellington.

Matthew Hunt commented: “It was nerve-wrackingly close, and I have not slept in 24 hours. It’s been an unbelievably tough leg for all the crews and I for one have never been so exhausted in my life.”

He explained the feeling of disappointment at losing out on success, so close to the finish of the race stage.

“It was devastating. For the last three or four days we had been duelling with LG Flatron. We were pulling away and we thought we had it. Under normal conditions they wouldn’t have got that back and then we hit the heavy stuff. One of our headsails blew quite badly and because the wind was so strong we couldn’t pull it back down.

“There we were fighting with this thing in appalling conditions. We saw them just appear in the background and they went past. At that point it was very difficult to carry on, to be motivated, to do anything. We had tried so hard. I just wanted to go to my bunk, but you have to pull through.”

Matthew Hunt is a great-nephew of the celebrated Orkney author Eric Linklater. His parents, Len and Susan, live at Doehouse in Sandwick.

As we went to press yesterday, the other yacht which has a crew member with Orkney connections Spirit of Hong Kong had not yet arrived in Wellington.

Charles Taylor (25) from Aberdeen, whose mother, Olive, was brought up in Evie, persuaded the crew of Spirit of Hong Kong to take with them Jolly’s hot smoked salmon and Robertson’s Orkney Fudge as part of the nutritional diet on their Round the World trip. Charles and his fellow crew members celebrated New Year in the Southern Ocean with a bottle of Scapa Whisky.

Crews will spend the next five weeks resting in New Zealand before setting off on the next and shortest leg of the race to Sydney.

You can keep up to date with progress of the Round the World Yacht Race via the Internet by calling up www.btchallenge.com