FOR the crew on Team Tyco, the Volvo Ocean Race 2001 has been a bit of a chequered game.

The Bermudan registered contender, which is crewed largely by British professionals from Hamble, has been hotly rated, perceived as one of the best organised and most talented campaigns in the event. But the results over two legs have failed to do justice to an ambitious and talented crew.

An average first leg from Southampton to Cape Town where Tyco picked up five points for fourth place was followed by a desperate second leg. After three days, the crew were forced to abandon their chances of maximum points when they realised their faulty rudder would not get them through the gruelling Southern Ocean.

"That realisation was a bad time for all of us," said watch leader Tim Powell from Netley.

"I think we knew from the minute we heard the first bang and knew the rudder was damaged that we would not be able to survive 4,000 miles to the end of the leg. We made an effort but at the back of our minds, we were aware that we could not push the boat too hard.

"When we heard the second big bang, our main concern was getting the boat back to South Africa safely."

It was a worrying few hours as Kiwi skipper Kevin Shoebridge communicated with race and sponsors HQ to decide how the boat should make its way to the next stopover port, Sydney, to make good the damage.

After some frenzied exchanges, Tyco was put on a container ship and while the crew flew home - some to Hampshire and the Isle of Wight - the boat made her way to Australia, arriving yesterday in Sydney ahead of an intensive four-day repair programme.

"I have been in the gym for a month working on my strength and fitness which has been a bit boring but valuable," said Powell. "But I am really looking forward to the boat arriving and for us to get going again. It has been very frustrating - not just watching the fleet sail the second leg but to wait here until our boat comes and we can start work again. I don't really feel that I have sailed much of this race because I seem to have had a lot of time out."

Team spirit on Team Tyco has been unaffected by the recent disappointment but the pressure is now on to produce some convincing results over the next seven legs to get a just result.

The next leg from Sydney to Auckland, including the Sydney to Hobart Race, offers the crew a chance to make up for the disappointments but, having covered half the course, nothing can be taken for granted, said Powell.

"We have found that you can prepare faultlessly, then suffer a problem outside your control and be penalised. If it can happen to us, it can happen to anyone and, in some ways, that is a consolation because there is very little between any of these boats," he said.