Barcelona World Race 2007 www.barcelonaworldrace.com - Übersicht 06.11.2007 * Visit Barcelona Round the World site'> http://www.barcelonaworldrace.com/en/ * Visit Official Estrella Damm site'> http://www.estrelladamm.es/idiomas/idiomas.asp ESTRELLA DAMM PREPARES FOR THE START OF THE BARCELONA WORLD RACE With less than a week to go to the start of the Barcelona World Race (11 November), the atmosphere amongst the Estrella Damm Sailing Team is changing. There is a blanket of clam overlaying an air of tension as the final preparations are made to the IMOCA Open 60. Work continues and while the shore crew continue to press on in good humour, there is less talk and the banter has dropped to a quiet mumble as all become aware that in under a week the boat and her two skippers Guillermo Altadill and Jonathan McKee will disappear over the horizon, tackling the 25,000-mile non-stop round the world race. The team continue to do everything they can to ensure that the boat is in the best condition and that the two sailors have the best equipment in place for the race that will see them attempt to put a dent in the current world record of 87 days by sailing faster, and pushing the boat harder than their rivals. The skippers have become somewhat more distant, absorbed in thoughts that we can only begin to imagine. Three months of competition, relentless weather and sleepless nights face the two skippers, with only the comforts of each other, freeze dried food and the occasional phone call back to land to keep them going. In recent week Guillermo and Jonathan have enrolled on first aid and sea survival courses to brush up on their skills and to ensure that they know what to do in the face on an accident. Both skippers have undergone medical testing to ensure they are fighting fit for the race ahead. The team has packed the IMOCA Open 60 with all the provisions that the boat will need have been put on board including the sails, spare-parts and tools needed to carry out general indextenance or for repairing any damages that the boat may sustain while at sea. In addition the shore team have also loaded all of the food, clothing and personal items that the skippers will need for the trip including over 500 chocolate bars, four bottles of Tabasco sauce, and several surprise items to be opened at Christmas and on other special occasions. Other items include a healthy supply of coffee, tea and hot chocolate to keep the sailors warm, with the index source of their food being of the freeze-dried or noodle variety. Food has been packed into bags so every four days the two sailors will open a new bag of rations that will keep them going over the four-day period. With the boat nearly ready to go, the skippers will spend their final days on shore with their families, making final preparations and reflecting on the epic trip to come. Follow Estrella Damm during the Barcelona World Race online at www.estrelladammsailingteam.com http://www.estrelladammsailingteam.com where you can view the latest images, video and read the latest reports from the boat. http://www.damm.es http://www.mail2web.com/cgi-bin/redir.asp?lid=0&newsite=http://www.damm.es Copyright © 1996-2016 - SEGEL.DE