Blair Tuke hospitalised with knee infection following latest Volvo Ocean Race leg victory

A ferocious knee infection hospitalised Team New Zealand and MAPFRE trimmer Blair Tuke for a number of days following the eighth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Tuke was admitted into a Newport hospital to recover from the infection he suffered late in the 5700 nautical mile (10556km) leg from Brazil to Rhode Island.

"I was actually a bit unwell, I hurt my knee so I ended up in hospital for a couple days when I arrived," Tuke told the Radio Sport's Elliott Smith this morning.

The 2017 America's Cup champion suffered the injury around three or four days before the end of the leg, explaining it was "a cut that went bad".

"[There was] pretty hot conditions across the equator, but it went bad towards the end of the leg and just had to go on," Tuke said.

"It was my first day in hospital, [there's a] first time for everything."

Blair Tuke's hands after 12 days of Leg Two. Photo / Ugo Fonolla

He received antibiotics during his tenure at the Rhode Island hospital, getting some much-needed rest before the next leg of the race.

"[It was] good to have some good solid sleep and get looked after and bounced back pretty well so looking forward to getting back out there."

The Spanish team MAPFRE won Leg Eight of the Volvo Ocean Race by overtaking Peter Burling's Team Brunel in the last 500 metres of the leg.

Tuke praised the efforts of his team for taking the opportunities that were presented to them.

With one day left the team was sitting in fifth place but was able to fight their way into the front in tough sailing conditions.

"We hadn't had a good start to the leg … but it always looked like there was going to be a compression at the end where boats behind catch up because the boats leading are going into lighter winds.

"To get into the position where we did we had to take the opportunities as they presented themselves and one was a big push of breeze between Bermuda and Newport.

"We went right on the limit pushing the boat … It was a pretty crazy finish for us," he said.

Leg Nine of the Volvo Ocean Race gets underway on May 20 when they head back to Europe, sailing from Newport to Cardiff, Wales.

To get the day's top sports stories in your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here