A few words from the skippers

[Guest]

The chance to compete against sailing’s best is what drives the men back to a race that offers no prize money, just the glory of holding the Volvo Ocean Race trophy.

 

Team Telefónica skipper Iker Martínez had the opportunity for a third successive Olympic campaign, after winning gold and silver in the last two Games, but the chance to lead a Spanish team in the Volvo Ocean Race was an offer he couldn’t refuse.

 

Along with his 49-er crewman Xabi Fernández, Martínez committed to a third Volvo Ocean Race.

 

“I want to achieve a very different goal, to try and fight for victory in the race,’’ he said. “This is always difficult, but goals that are difficult like this can mean even more. Once you do the Olympics you want new things.”

 

Frenchman Franck Cammas is the face of the first French entry since Eric Tabarly skippered La Poste in 1993-94, leaving Cammas carrying the hopes of his sailing-mad country.

 

His reputation as one of the world’s greatest sailors is also at stake as he takes on monohull racing in his first Volvo Ocean Race.

 

“It’s a positive pressure,” he said. “I think it’s very good to have a French boat in the Volvo Ocean Race because we have a presence in the sailing world. The French sailors are good at ocean racing, but it’s the first time since 1993, so it’s a long time since we’ve been here.’’

 

At 50 years young PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG skipper Ken Read is well aware that he is the oldest competitor in this edition – mainly because the media won’t let him forget it.

 

Taking his third dip at Volvo victory, the seasoned sailor reckons he’s still young and remembers that the likes of Magnus Olsson skippered at the age of 60. Still, this time he is going to approach things differently.

 

“I plan on stopping and looking around a bit more, kind of absorbing the adventure because you don’t ever know when you’re going to get back to doing something like this ever again,’’ he said.

 

As the only Volvo Ocean Race skipper to have led a team to victory previously, Mike Sanderson has plenty on the line at the helm of Team Sanya.

 

Racing a second hand boat against a fleet of latest generation Volvo Open 70s that have had years to develop potentially race-winning advancements, he knows he’s up against it.

 

Making no secret of his expectations, Sanderson admits he has the simple goal of not finishing last in every race and just enjoying the race he loves. Not to mention the ultimate goal of returning to the 2014-15 race with an invincible Chinese entry.

 

“Obviously it’s not an ideal circumstance, we’re in someone else’s boat and we’re late,’’ he said. “But I enjoy the sailing, I enjoy the camaraderie of the team, I enjoy the whole Volvo family. I wouldn’t’ have done it if I didn’t’ think I had one more in me after this.

 

“The worse nightmare will be if we dropped off the back and we spend the next nine months as Tail-End-Charlie. So, there is some apprehension in that we realise the new boats are quicker, but there's lots of other variables -- where you go, what sails you’re taking -- so hopefully those have all mixed it up a little bit.”

 

At the “Everest of the ocean” photo shoot atop the Cabeçó d'Or, some 4000ft above the Mediterranean, the six skippers joked and chatted away like comrades. But in just days the Leg 1 sprint to Cape Town will begin and the men will become competitors with the shared ambition to win. Racing begins at 1400 local time, 1300 GMT. Don’t miss it.

[Guest]

Some more from the skippers on the eve of the start of leg one.

 

On the eve of Leg 1, the 6,500 nautical mile sprint to Cape Town, South Africa, the six skippers share their hopes, fears and predictions.

 

Chris Nicholson, CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand:

 

“The expected windy conditions do add to the tension to some extent but that is more of a management issue, just to get the boat out of the Med in one piece. In CAMPER we are used to these sorts of conditions as we have faced quite a lot of them in the last few months. The guys are ready for it and they will take it in their stride. There won’t be any sleep until we are out of the Med.”

 

 

 

Ken Read, PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG:

 

“We’ve all sailed these boats in big winds. Just sailing from the Canary Islands to Alicante we saw 40 knots on the nose through the Straits of Gibraltar. I think we’re all used to it. It’s more uncomfortable than anything else, just a pain in the neck. It would be nice if it was a nice 20-knot cruise around the world in flat water but it’s just not the way it is or how we do it. We’re going to be wet, tired, but that’s absolutely what we signed up for. The whole crew knows it and we are confident in the strength of our boat so we really don’t have any problems.”

 

 

 

Mike Sanderson, Team Sanya:

 

“We’ve got enough off shore experience to remain safe and remain responsible and we’ve certainly got enough talent on board to sail fast, so I’m certainly looking forward to getting amongst it.”

 

“One of the things traditionally this leg has shown is an all-round fast boat goes well. You get all sorts of conditions in this first leg. In the last two races the 24-hour record has been broken once we hit the westerlies in the southern hemisphere. The reason that in the past the winner of the first leg has gone on to win the overall race is because of preparation. This time there are five campaigns all here to win and us to get in their way. For the first time ever we truly have five teams who could win this race.”

 

 

 

Franck Cammas, Groupama sailing team:

 

“I am very proud to be here with these guys around me (the other skippers). I have a lot still to learn but I am very excited about that. Offshore, I’m pretty sure my crew is very good. We have a lot of skill on board. We know this first leg well.”

 

 

 

Iker Martínez, Team Telefónica:

 

For us our goal is to try to be good on this leg, We really look forward to going out sailing. A good result would be to be in the top three. Getting a podium finish is really important, really important for this race. If you are really close to the one who wins you are there. It’s really important to make sure you are there. That’s the most important for this leg -- to make sure you are not out of the game.”

 

 

 

Ian Walker, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing:

 

“You look at the certificates of all the boats here and they’re pretty much at máximum speed, pretty much at minimum weight, maximum keel weight, minimum mast weight -- you know these boats are all very similar. I don’t think there are going to be any glaring issues. We’re going to have a race.”