Across the
Atlantic
19:43 GMT Friday, May 15, 2009. |
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| The Volvo Ocean
Race fleet is ready to face the North Atlantic for leg seven
as the teams make their final preparations ahead of Saturday’s
start. The transatlantic crossing is weighing heavily on the
minds of the skippers. As Ian Walker said, "these could
be the hardest miles we sail." |
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The Volvo Ocean Race yachts were hauled
out of the water for maintenance and repairs at Boston's
Fan Pier at the end of Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race
2008-09.
Photo © Dave Kneale / Volvo Ocean Race.
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The race start is
scheduled for 13:00 local time in Boston Harbor (17:00 GMT),
with the starting line directly off the race village at Fan Pier
in Boston. The fleet will make a loop of the harbour before heading
out to sea to Galway, some 2,500 nautical miles away.
At the skipper’s press conference ahead of the start, local hero
Ken Read promised his PUMA team, currently standing third on the leaderboard,
would put their best foot forward, in an effort to earn their first victory
of the race. |
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The Volvo Ocean Race yachts were hauled
out of the water for maintenance and repairs at Boston's
Fan Pier at the end of Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race
2008-09.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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"As always,
our goal is to win this leg," he said. "It’s
no different to any other leg. We know what the score is, and
it’s our job to make up some of the difference."
PUMA had the pressure of a homecoming on the leg into Boston, but that
burden now shifts to Green Dragon. Skipper Ian Walker says the team is
definitely aware of the significance of the leg, but says they won’t
let it get to them. |
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PUMA Ocean Racing in the Boston pro-am
race at Fan Pier.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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"For us to
get back to Galway and Ireland is a major milestone for this
project. It’s probably the most important thing that we
can do, to sail that boat into Galway," he said.
But when asked if the team would be making an extra effort to secure a
strong finish into their home port, he was sanguine: "We were last
into Boston and we don’t want to repeat that. I’m proud of
the fact that the team has stuck together through the disappointments.
But for us to try any harder on this leg would do disservice to all the
other legs. We try our hardest all the time." |
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The fleet, covered in fog in the Boston
in-port race at Fan Pier.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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Torben Grael, skipper
of the overall race leader, Ericsson 4, cautioned that this leg
could be a brutal one.
"We don’t underestimate the leg. Last race (in 2006) when we left
New York, the leg was a very hard one, much worse than people were predicting.
So it’s good to be prepared for anything when you have a leg like this." |
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Ericsson 4 rounds the mark in the Boston
pro-am race at Fan Pier.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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His counterpart
on Ericsson 3, Magnus Olsson, who has led his team to a win and
second place finish in the last two legs, is a veteran of the
race and has many transatlantic crossings under his belt. Too
many to count apparently: "I don’t know, 30 or 40
perhaps. it’s a nice place!"
Bouwe Bekking on Telefónica Blue spoke of the importance of teamwork
on board his boat: "It’s a team sport. It doesn’t matter
if you’re the skipper or navigator or helmsman or media man, everybody
has to work as hard as possible. We’ll go for it and try to win." |
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Telefonica Blue in the Boston pro-am
race at Fan Pier.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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| Telefónica
Black skipper Fernando Echávarri said the forecast to
begin the leg gave his team confidence: "For our boats,
I think it’s going to be good conditions until the scoring
gate; reaching in light to medium conditions. Later on, we will
try to arrive in Galway in one piece as it could be very tough
conditions. We’ll be working as hard as possible to get
to Galway in a good position." |
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Telefonica Black in the Boston pro-am
race at Fan Pier.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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| Delta Lloyd‘s
Roberto ‘Chuny’ Bermúdez also spoke of the
excitement of returning to Europe. "We are a European team
so for us it’s a matter of coming back home after many,
many miles," he said. "So the team is very happy to
be heading for home. But still, there are many miles left to
fight with these guys. We need to try to get good results, it’s
important for us." |
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Delta Lloyd in the Boston pro-am
race at Fan Pier.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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| The Mayor of Galway
was on hand at the skippers’ press conference today to
extend his welcome in advance, to the teams. Mayor Padraig Conneely
told the teams his city was very proud to be hosting the Irish
stopover. |
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Ericsson 4 and Ericsson 3 in the Boston
pro-am race at Fan Pier.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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| "We’re
a cultural city, an old maritime city, renowned for art and culture
and sport as well. Our dock area is right in the centre of the
city and I know you’re going to enjoy yourselves. I wish
you all the very best of luck and the city will be on full alert
to welcome you." |
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Paul Cayard helms Il mostro for the
Pro Am race in Boston Harbour, Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09.
Photo © Sally Collison / PUMA Ocean Racing / Volvo Ocean Race.
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The start of leg
seven of the Volvo Ocean Race will take place in Boston Harbor,
off Fan Pier, at 13:00 local time (17:00 GMT) on Saturday.
Visit www.volvooceanrace.org for
all the latest news! |
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