Collision in around-the-world Ocean Race punctures 1st-place 11th Hour Racing; protest filed

By JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer

Two boats collided just 17 minutes into the final, 10-day leg of the around-the-world Ocean Race. The crash sent first-place 11th Hour Racing back to port in The Hague, the Netherlands, to try to patch a gaping hole in its carbon fiber hull. The Newport, Rhode Island-based boat has filed a protest against Guyot environnement. The Team Europe boat crashed its bowsprit into the port side of the 11th Hour hull. The Ocean Race said no injuries were reported. The 11th Hour team had won three straight legs of the six-month, 32,000 nautical mile race that is scheduled to end in Genoa, Italy, on July 1.