10.05.2006
Volvo fleet in for a bumpy ride as they depart New York
May 10, 2006, New York – After sailing what many of the sailors claimed was one of the toughest legs (despite being the shortest) from Annapolis to New York, the fleet will set sail again tomorrow on leg 7 in the hope of breaking the transatlantic record.
The seven Volvo Open 70s have had just two days to recover from the 400 nautical mile sprint leg from Annapolis where they encountered some of the roughest conditions they have experienced and suffered from severe lack of sleep.
Living up to its tagline of ‘life at the extreme’, leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 looks like it could get off to a bumpy start as Assistant Race Meteorologist Jennifer Lilly explains: “While strong winds are good news for a fleet looking to break a record, no one is looking forward to more upwind sailing after leg 6. Looking at the current weather maps, the hopes for a transatlantic record are being replaced by the real possibility of an extended period of upwind sailing in easterly winds.”
She continued: “Even as they leave New York, the fleet will not escape the prospect of Easterly winds and upwind sailing. A new low pressure, developing off the coast of New Jersey on Thursday afternoon will move northeast causing the winds to build into the high 20’s with gusts of over 30 knots. As the fleet heads northeast, towards Maritime Canada, the winds will back left to northeasterly making for a continued grind to weather.”
When the racing gets underway at 13:00 (local) there will be a few things missing from the start line. Firstly, six boats will line up for the restart as the Spanish entry movistar, skippered by Bouwe Bekking (NED), suffered equipment damage on the previous leg and as New York is a pit-stop the team have had to take a two hour time penalty to allow shore crew onboard to get it properly fixed.
Another thing missing will be the skipper of Brunel. Although the team has only just rejoined the race in America, Brunel skipper Grant Wharington (AUS) will step down for the leg to England due to illness. Matthew Humphries (GBR) will move up from his role of watch captain to skipper the boat on leg 7.
Wharington explained: “It’s very disappointing for me as I would have loved to have done this transatlantic leg – I haven’t done it before and I think the boat is going to be very competitive. I just feel that I am not 100% and the best thing for the sailing team is for me to step aside for this leg and I am sure I will be right in another two weeks to join the boat again.”
Commenting further he said: “I can’t quite identify what it is, I just feel very fatigued. During the leg up here I was feeling really over-tired and would come on deck and do something for ten or fifteen minutes and then I was falling asleep. I couldn’t actually concentrate.
I feel that I can just step aside and leave it to the guys as there is a lot of experience on board and I think I would be slowing the boat down by continuing on the way I am feeling.”
The yachts have turned out to be a bit of a head-turner and make a surreal site parked in the middle of North Cove Marina, under the shadow of the World Financial Center and many surrounding city sky scrapers.
Today, as a lasting reminder of their trip to New York, each of the skippers was presented with a plaque by the New York City Sports Commissioner, Ken Podziba.
The course for leg 7 takes the fleet out of New York, around a turning mark in front of the iconic Statue of Liberty and through a gate at Ambrose Light Tower. From there it will be a hard fought race across the Atlantic to pick up vital points at the scoring gate at Lizard Point – the most southerly point of mainland Britain. They will then leave the Needles, the most western point of the Isle of Wight, to starboard as they battle their way up through the heavily tidal and challenging Solent to Portsmouth.
The yachts are expected to arrive into Portsmouth, England, around the 20th May 2006 where they will adopt a new temporary home at Gunwharf Quays.
All the action from the start, which is guaranteed to prove exciting as the race gets underway within a stones throw from the shore, will be broadcast live on www.volvooceanrace.org.
Sacha Oswald, Travelling Press Officer in Baltimore
Tel: +1 410 869 6210
Email: sacha.oswald@volvooceanrace.org
Lizzie Green Press Officer at race headquarters:
Tel: +44 1489 554 832, Mob: +44 7801 185 320
Email: lizzie.green@volvooceanrace.org
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