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New Zealand skipper Pete Bethune and his crew yesterday set sail from Guatemala after a local judge ruled it was an accident their vessel ran down a fishing boat killing a fisherman.
But Earthrace did not get far beyond the end of the breakwater at Puerto Quetzal - where it has been held at a naval base since the March 18 collision - before heading back in.
Mr Bethune's wife, Sharyn, said she suspected something must have been not right for the leg to Acapulco.
"I hope it's something minor," she said after watching satellite tracking showing the vessel going to sea about 5pm NZ time and then turning back.
After the tragic collision prosecutors had asked for a charge of negligence causing death, which carries a jail sentence, but the judge ruled no charges would be laid.
"Thankfully the judge didn't see it that way and I'm just relieved to have it over," Mr Bethune said after the hearing.
He said his meeting with the families of the victims before the court hearing was an emotional affair.
"They had some questions about what happened on the night."
Earthrace's insurers paid compensation to the victims' families.
- NZPA
