In a move that seems just as unorthodox as their earlier ruling, it seems the Royal Western Yacht Club of Plymouth (RWYC) has now decided to retire Pieter from the OSTAR! By doing this, they have seemingly reversed their earlier decision that gave Pieter the opportunity to continue the OSTAR after single-handedly repairing the damage to the RoboSail Open40.

The reasons for this RWYC-ruling are not known and, at this moment, it seems that no one can clarify things. Pieter himself, who received the news earlier today by Iridium phone, is now mentally somewhere between surprise and fury. He has changed course and is now heading towards the Azores.

We will continue to inform you as more information becomes available.