‘We’re going to win the leg or drop the rig’ – Hong Kong’s Scallywag ready for leg seven of Volvo Ocean Race

David Witt and his crew aboard Hong Kong boat Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag go into leg seven of the Volvo Ocean Race with a more conspicuous profile after strong performances in the past two races.

Scallywag came second in leg six from Hong Kong to Auckland having won the fourth leg from Melbourne to Hong Kong.

Both times, Witt and his team used innovative route strategies to stun the main fleet. While the rest of the boats could have dismissed the leg four win because of the extra incentive to triumph on home waters, a close second place in the leg to Auckland proved that Scallywag can emerge as serious contenders.

They have vaulted to third place in the standings and are ready to tackle the 7,600-nautical mile journey from Auckland to Itajai in Brazil, starting on Sunday, through what is known as the “Furious Fifties” – inhospitable, remote waters south of 50-degrees latitude that circle Antarctica, around Cape Horn and up to Itajaí.

“We’re going to win the leg or drop the rig. That’s the mentality,” Witt said of the race that crosses the Southern Ocean. “This is a big chance for Scallywag to stay up there and do something or drop back towards the back of the pack… We don’t care what goes wrong or what breaks… We’re just going to send it.”

All seven boats will start the race with Vestas 11th Hour Racing returning to the fleet after pulling out of the Hong Kong leg because of a collision that resulted in the death of a Chinese fisherman.

Skipper Charlie Enright says his team are eager to get racing again and resume challenging the leaders.