LOOKOUT: TWO BOATS TWO DREAMS

Follows the fortunes of the two New Zealand challenges in the 1981-82 Whitbread Around the World Yacht Race. The construction of Ceramco New Zealand and interview with its captain, Peter Blake. Tom Clarke discusses reason for sponsoring challenge. Cermanco is launched in Auckland. Testing of the yacht in the southern ocean. Pete Montgomery describes the challenge of the race. Digby Taylor gains sponsorship for Outward Bound’s challenge. Taylor sails to England as practice. Start of race at Portsmouth. Explanation of the handicap system. Ceramco breaks main mast and comes into Cape town under jury-rig to finish last. Flight of new mast from New Zealand. Start of the second leg, Ceramco race for line honours in Auckland through the southern seas against Dutch entry, Flyer. Outward Bound's boat freezes and their lives become endangered as they sail past large icebergs. Running repairs to boats. Race into Auckland is won by Flyer. In the build-up to third leg French skipper predicts victory for his team. Start of penultimate leg sees mass of support craft following the race fleet out into the Pacific. Massive seas of the southern South Pacific and wrecked sailboats on the shores of Cape Horn. Ceramco gains lead, only to lose to Flyer in final run into Mar Del Plata, Argentina. Flyer skipper, Cornelius Van Rietschoten, has a heart attack during the race but continues to sail on and eventually win. Blake discusses his plans for his next challenge.