LOCAL companies around Southampton have come to the rescue of Lisa McDonald and her crew on Amer Sports Too in the Volvo Ocean Race.

These have been tense times for the crew but she is almost certain of making the start line in La Rochelle for the penultimate leg of the race.

Losing their mast in the Atlantic on May Day, just hours after completing their best 24-hour run of the race so far, was devastating enough - but the journey to Halifax in Canada, where the boat was put on a ship and brought back to England, presented the Hamble yachtswoman with some of the most frightening moments of the race so far.

"We had been through icebergs and Southern Ocean storms, suffered a broken mast, broken forestays and watermakers and been for weeks without a hot drink but this was dreadful," she said.

"It was the most stressful 11 hours of the whole race for me because suddenly we were not in control of our destiny.

"We knew there was a storm coming but it turned out there was a gale force storm warning along the entire coastline and we were having to think about putting up a storm sail with a jury rig knowing there was no shelter anywhere along the coast and knowing shifting winds could send us into the shore. For 24 hours we watched this nasty beast develop."

It was that warning which prompted Canadian coastguards to make contact with Amer Sports Too to offer their help and, from 130 miles out, they had a tow from a vast icebreaker.

But conditions were treacherous during that time with 50 knots of wind and dangerous swells. Even picking up the tow proved hazardous as thick fog kept visibility down to less than the length of the boat.

"We could hear a foghorn nearby but had no idea whether it was a 40-foot boat or a 300-foot cruise liner and the first time we saw them, their bow was right beside us. It was very dramatic," said McDonald.

"Then we had to attach the tow line and they were telling us to tie it on to our strongest bollard on the deck but obviously there was no bollard - ours is a delicate racing yacht."

Finally they arrived in Halifax, but even then McDonald was not sure that the cash-strapped Nautor Challenge management would pay for all the repairs so they could resume the race.

"That was playing on my mind a lot but the girls, who were amazing throughout all of this, volunteered to go out with their tin boxes to raise the money. We are all desperate to finish the race."

Back in Hamble, looking fresh and relaxed despite her ordeal, McDonald, who was joined by her husband Neal for a few hours before he resumes his campaign for a podium place on Assa Abloy, has relieved her sponsors of some expenses by accepting offers of support, in particular from transport companies Convoi Exceptionnel and Peters and May, the Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble who have allowed her to set up HQ in their offices and the famous Dolce Vita restaurant, who have fed, watered and found accommodation for her entire crew while they have been in Hamble.

Yesterday, Amer Sports Too arrived at Camper & Nicholson in Gosport and today the mast was due to be stepped, giving McDonald and her team time to trial and tune the new rigging in good time for the La Rochelle start on May 25.

"Before these offers came in, we had a 50/50 chance of making the start but now we think we will be there so we are grateful to them all. All being well, we feel we could do well in the remaining two legs. This experience has made us even stronger and more determined but as long as we feel we have done our best, we will be happy."