The Oryx Quest 2005 www.oryxquest.com - zur Übersicht 05.02.2005 Start day There is a moderate northeasterly wind blowing and the water in the bay is rippled with small waves that bang gently into the side of Doha 2006. The enormous white topsides gleam, reflecting the bright sunshine. It’s a picture perfect day for the start of a boat race. Most of the crew were on the docks early stowing the gear and doing last minute checks. The start of the Oryx Quest 2005 is now only hours away and there is palpable excitement in the air. There is a moderate northeasterly wind blowing and the water in the bay is rippled with small waves that bang gently into the side of Doha 2006. The enormous white topsides gleam, reflecting the bright sunshine. It’s a picture perfect day for the start of a boat race. Most of the crew were on the docks early stowing the gear and doing last minute checks. The start of the Oryx Quest 2005 is now only hours away and there is palpable excitement in the air. On board the massive French trimaran Geronimo, skipper Olivier de Kersauson is relaxed. His eyes are clear and there is even a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth. “We are ready,” he said. “It’s a good day for a start. Not too much wind, but enough. I am looking forward to this race. It’s different, and that makes it more interesting for me.” This is the first time de Kersauson has raced his trimaran against tangible competition rather than an ghost ship and a clock. “Finally we will see if the trimaran is a better concept for this kind of sailing, or if it’s a catamaran.” Tony Bullimore and his crew on Daedalus also seem anxious to get underway. The boat tugs at the dock lines as if ready to get this race started. The yacht has been around the track before, as ENZA when it set a new Jules Verne record in 1994. It has also been around the world with Tony Bullimore at the helm. In 2001, as Legato, the boat came fifth in The Race. Now, after a complete refit the 105-foot catamaran looks better than ever. “The boat is as light as it’s ever been, Bullimore said. “We have stripped off all unnecessary gear, even taken out the engines and replaced them with generators. The new sails are fantastic and all in all we are 100% ready to go.” Bullimore is no stranger to adventure but takes a measured approach to each circumnavigation. “We will just take this race a day at a time,” he said. “It’s easy to get lulled into thinking that this is just another race, but it’s a dangerous course, around Antarctica, and we must be vigilant.” After a mad scramble to get the boat refit for the Oryx Quest 2005, all seems in order aboard Doha 2006. Brian Thompson never looks ruffled and his hugely experienced crew seem to be taking the day in stride. French sailor Jacques Vincent is about to set off on his seventh trip around the world. His boyish good looks are not weathered by the weeks and months spent at sea. It’s as if the old saying, “days spent sailing do not count toward your total allotment on this earth”, is true. By continually sailing around the world, Vincent seems to be turning the clock backwards. The rest of the team ready the boat, anxious to get through the difficult goodbye’s. “I think the start will be important,” Thompson said. “I know that it’s a long race, but winning the start is good for crew morale. We will not do anything stupid, but I would like to be the first on the line when the gun fires.” It’s nine months to the day since Cheyenne closed the loop on a record setting circumnavigation. Now, with many of the same crew on board, the boat is ready to go again. The biggest boat in the fleet is also one of the best prepared. It has undergone a complete refit since returning in April 2004, and with some new sails on board Cheyenne looks as good as ever. If skipper David Scully is nervous about his first time in command of the big catamaran he’s not letting on. “We are in good shape,” he said. “The crew know the boat. I know the boat. We are looking forward to racing head-to-head against Geronimo and the Ollier cat as well as Tony on Daedalus.” The distinctive white topsides trimmed with red, yellow and black have become a familiar sight over the last six years. Once again Cheyenne will make the front pages of the yachting magazines as it races around the world. The start gun will fire at 14:00 local time (11:00 GMT). The start area is 10 miles offshore, away from any shallow areas in the bay. A flotilla of local craft, including a number of dhows, will make there way out to the start area to witness history as four of the fastest sailboats in the world set off in the Oryx Quest 2005. --- Brian Hancock brian.hancock@qisel.com Copyright © 1996-2016 - SEGEL.DE