Team AkzoNobel, featuring Isle of Wight sailor Jules Salter, will start the fourth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race tomorrow (Tuesday).

The team have had a busy few days making repairs to the boat's mast and mainsail following damage sustained in stormy conditions in the Southern Ocean.

around the world in full competitive trim after successfully repairing damage to the team’s mast and mainsail during a scheduled pit stop in Melbourne, Australia.

The damage happened in stormy conditions in the Southern Ocean on the fourth day of the race’s third leg from Cape Town. Team AkzoNobel’s crew of seven men and two women were able to effect temporary repairs but lost touch with the main fleet and arrived in Melbourne in seventh place.

which had to be un-stepped from the boat at a local shipyard by staff from the Volvo Ocean Race’s Boatyard shared services team and worked on around the clock by technicians from fleet mast manufacturer Southern Spars.

Happily, the repair work has gone smoothly and the team expect to be able to re-step the mast over the weekend followed by a test sail ahead of the Leg 4 start on Tuesday, January 2.

Team AkzoNobel has announced three scheduled crew changes for the 11,000-kilometer fourth stage from Melbourne to Hong Kong.