Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, onboard his Open 60 SAGA INSURANCE, crossed the finish line of leg 2 in the VELUX 5 OCEANS over the weekend. After 75 days, 18 hours and 43 minutes at sea and 16,049 miles of racing, 68-year-old Knox-Johnston was relieved to arrive in Norfolk, Va. “This leg has been a nightmare but I am just pleased it’s over,” he said afterward. “I thought that it might be over 2 days ago but the weather decided otherwise. I think Unai has been in church praying for adverse winds for me.””There has been some fabulous days sailing sitting on the boat and she’s sailing along beautifully, nice wind and the sea is sparkling in the sun and you just think this is wonderful and I wouldn’t swap this for anything and I wouldn’t if I was cruising but I wasn’t I was racing so I find it frustrating.””No regrets, but I don’t feel I am really succeeding so I may have to find another one. I think I have been very frustrated. Sailing great but racing no – I have been really frustrated.”With Sir Robin Knox-Johnston the fourth skipper of the Velux 5 Oceans to arrive in Norfolk, the fleet is all but complete, except for the unfortunate Graham Dalton. The tenacious Kiwi skipper was forced to seek land three times during the second leg, and now finds himself in Brazil without a keel bulb. The rest of the skippers will recover in Virginia until the fleet sets off for the finish in Bilbao on April 15.For much more on RKJ’s adventure-filled Leg 2, visit www.velux5oceans.com
