US Team Tries to Come Back in Boat Race

Jan. 26 -- Three-thousand miles behind, with about 18,000 to go.

That's the state of Team Adventure, the sole American contestant left in a high-speed, high-stakes sailing contest around the world.

Team Adventure has fallen into a distant fourth, after having to spend a crucial six days in port in Cape Town, South Africa.

The 13-member Club Med team, skippered by New Zealander Grant Dalton, is currently in the lead, followed by the mostly French team of Innovative Explorer, and the Polish Warta Polpharma.

Only the British-skippered Team Legato trails Team Adventure.

Crew Down by Almost a Third

Team Adventure was forced to port when a giant wave damaged its boat, and seriously injured crew members Jeffery Wargo, from Seattle, Wash., and Mikael Lundh from Sweden.

And things won't likely look any better when they finally rejoin the race. Team Adventure will head back to sea with less than three-quarters of its original crew.

Despite lobbying from Team Adventure, the directors refused to allow replacements for the two injured crewmen.

The rules are quite clear on this point, the directors said through the race's Web site.

"Each competitor's skipper may only put ashore members of his crew during the period for medical reasons. Any members of the crew put ashore may not be replaced," it said.

And two others have quit. Rob Myles, the boat's rigger and foredeck man, from Newport, R.I., and a veteran of the America's Cup circuit, cited personal reasons for leaving the race.

And Rick Deppe, the cameraman and communications expert, from Annapolis, Md., said the speeds were just too much and he was afraid of the boat flipping over.

Skipper Cam Lewis said in Cape Town on Monday: "While we are disappointed to see Rick Deppe and Rob Myles leave the team, these are very individual decisions. I respect their choices and wish them well in their future sailing endeavors."

"Overall, I am confident we can safely sail the balance of the race ."