Novak said he respected the Club Med crew's decision, but felt with so few boats in The Race, it was better to have a good competitor. However, on Wednesday afternoon, members of the crew reported their only problem, apart from lack of funds, was damage to the port side jib track, sustained during the rough voyage to Barcelona. The track had started to work loose from the crossbeam and needed to be rebonded. A temporary tent was erected above the repair, with electric heaters positioned to give the epoxy and fiberglass repairs a better chance to harden. The crew insisted there were no problems with their vessel's engine.
Twin engines are a requirement of The Race, so the huge-sailed catamarans can motor out of danger.
Engines are also used for water making and power generation for the navigation and communication systems. Although not a vital part of the actual event, transmitting pictures and video is especially power hungry. Like a couple of the other yachts, Warta Polpharma is struggling to be 100 percent ready for the start on Sunday afternoon. His is a plan which certainly goes against the image of The Race in general. Caution is his byword.