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Dubois Naval Architects assets sold

06 Mar 2017

Dubois Naval Architects designed a string of distinctive yachts

The assets of Dubois Naval Architects have been sold at auction for an undisclosed sum.

Insolvency and restructuring firm CVR Global were called into the company earlier this year after it hit financial trouble following the death of founder Ed Dubois in March 2016.

CVR Global instructed auctioneers Marriott & Co to hold an online auction of Dubois Naval Architects’ assets, which included the iconic company’s name and its intellectual property rights, drawings and designs.

The auction attracted world-wide interest and resulted in all lots being sold exceeding the reserve prices.

“The death of Mr Dubois had a dramatic impact on the fortunes of Dubois Naval Architects and the financial constraints the company experienced in a difficult market resulted in our appointment,” said Terry Evans from CVR Global’s Southampton office.

“Following an assessment of the company’s affairs it was clear the business could not continue to trade and we subsequently instructed Marriott & Co to hold an auction of the company’s business assets.

“We are in the process of completing the procedure and early indications are that the outcome will result in the secured creditor being paid in full. If the work in progress is completed satisfactorily, the end result may provide a dividend to the remaining creditors.”

Gavin Marriott, director of Marriott & Co, added: “We are pleased to say that the best bids for all the lots at the auction exceeded the reserve prices and that we are in the process of completing the sales accordingly.

“There has been world-wide interest in the Dubois assets and we believe that the auction result was excellent.”

Mr Dubois’ first yacht design, Borsalino Trois, won the British Trials for the Three Quarter Ton Cup, the RORC Class IV overall prize and the Solent Points Championship.

He founded Dubois Naval Architects in 1977 and went on to design a string of boats that won events throughout the world in the 1980s and 90s.

Commissions for production boats followed racing success with the company known for pushing technology.

via Boating Business | Dubois Naval Architects assets sold.

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Performance data is collected by racegeek

07 Mar 2017

racegeek’s new d10 collects and shares performance data

From the fitness and wellness market to programming our heating from the other side of the coast, the fascination and in some cases obsession with data continues.

Now racegeek has launched a tactical racing tool that uses the latest technology with what the company calls design simplicity to collect and provide performance race data with the ability to upload the metrics to the cloud.

The d10 has been designed for boats from 20ft to 35ft with key features including a 60 and 40mm digit backlit waterproof LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass protective cover, inbuilt compass, GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity.

The d10 is also race legal in several classes including IRC, ORC and PHRF.

A race mode has three separate functions – prestart, performance and navigation with countdown and distance to line, boat speed and wind angles, waypoint angles and distance.

“Combining core functionality of multiple instruments into one device, as well as large digit backlit LCD waterproof display, inbuilt compass, GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity, the d10 takes the ‘Apple’ approach of hardware and platform development,” explained company co-founder, Ric Morris.

Co-founder JC Durbin added: “Data collection has evolved in other industries. To be successful the collected data has to be a by-product of a device not just its core purpose, it has to be easy to get the data off the device and the data collected has to be meaningful results that people can act upon.

“We think that we have cracked this for the inshore racing market by creating the d10, a new tactical racing tool.”

Sailors wanting additional technical functionality can connect device or software packages that support NMEA via Wi-Fi or cable and stream data to or from the d10 and customise data displays.

via Boating Business | Performance data is collected by racegeek.

Vendée Globe star Jérémie Beyou takes on Volvo Ocean Race challenge as Dongfeng Race Team name world class trio

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Benoit Stichelbaut / Dongfeng Race Team

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Martin Keruzoré/Volvo Ocean race

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Yann Riou/Volvo Ocean Race

Dongfeng skipper Charles Caudrelier names France’s Jérémie Beyou and New Zealanders Stu Bannatyne and Daryl Wislang for Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 campaign

Jérémie Beyou, fresh from his third place in the Vendée Globe, will swap solo sailing for the sport’s toughest team challenge, after the Frenchman was announced as part of a trio of world-class sailors joining Dongfeng Race team for the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18.

Beyou joins two other vastly experienced offshore sailors in New Zealand’s Stu Bannatyne and Daryl Wislang to complete the first batch of crew to join the Chinese campaign following months of trials and intense testing by skipper Charles Caudrelier.

Bannatyne, a seven-time Volvo Ocean Race veteran with three wins under his belt, and Wislang, who has competed three times and lifted the trophy with Abu Dhabi in 2014-15, know all too well just what it takes to be competitive in sailing’s leading offshore challenge.

But Beyou, a 40-year-old, three-time Solitaire du Figaro winner from Larmor-Plage in Brittany, who is used to racing around the world alone on his Open 60, Maître Coq, recognises that life onboard will be a very different experience for him.

“I will have to get used to being one of a team of sailors on board,” he said. “It’s a really exciting challenge. We have high expectations for a result in this race and we have exactly what we need to do well.

“Dongfeng is an interesting team because we have people of different ages, nationalities and backgrounds – people from single-handed racing, from dinghy racing and veterans of the Volvo. There is a great spirit on board and everyone is helping each other – it’s a great feeling.”

Caudrelier, who skippered Dongfeng Race Team to a podium finish in 2014-15, believes that the depth of experience held by Beyou, Wislang and Bannatyne across multiple offshore sailing disciplines will combine well with his Chinese and international squad to form a powerful racing team.

“You could not ask for more in terms of experience and miles under the keel,” said Caudrelier. “In Stu and Daryl we have two of New Zealand’s very best offshore racers who know the Volvo Ocean Race inside out. Jérémie may be new to the race, but we are delighted to give him this opportunity and I have huge respect for what he has achieved. In a one-design fleet of Volvo Ocean 65s, having specialist Figaro sailors like him on board is invaluable.”

Caudrelier revealed that Wislang will be a watch captain on Dongfeng.

Both Beyou and Bannatyne will sail during the race, with Bannatyne likely to be on board for the main Southern Ocean legs.

“Daryl is a proven offshore warrior,” said the skipper. “Stu has so much experience to share – especially with our younger sailors – and Jérémie is eager to learn about, what for him, is a new challenge.”

Bannatyne first sailed it in 1993-94 onboard New Zealand Endeavour and his love for Southern Ocean is as strong as ever.

“The big thing with the Volvo Ocean Race for me is the fast downwind sailing, having no bottom mark to worry about going around, and then of course the camaraderie of the team,” he said. “And I love being offshore and trying to get the best out of the boat.

Wislang is eager to continue his “love affair” with the race – and is particularly looking forward to sailing with Caudrelier.

“I’ve always had a lot of time for Charles and I know what he did with Dongfeng last time and how good a skipper and team leader he is,” said Wislang.

The team is currently settling into its permanent base at Lorient in Brittany after delivering its newly-refitted Volvo Ocean 65 there from Lisbon last week. Further crew announcements will be made in the next few weeks.

Stuart Bannatyne  (New Zealand)

Born April 20, 1971

Lives in Auckland, NZ

Seven Volvo Ocean Races and three wins with New Zealand Endeavour, Illbruck Challenge, Ericsson 4.

Broken the 24-hour monohull world speed record on five occasions

New Zealand Yachtsman of the Year in 2009

Eight Fastnet races, three Transpacs and 11 Sydney Hobarts

Daryl Wislang (New Zealand)

Born May 20, 1981

Lives in Wellington, NZ

Four previous Volvo Ocean Races and winner in 2014 with Abu Dhabi

On board Comanche as it set the world 24-hour distance record in the Translatic Race in 2015 and later won the Sydney to Hobart

Jérémie Beyou (France)

Born 26 June 1976 in Landivisiau (Finistère)

Lives in Larmor-Plage, France

Third place in Vendée Globe 2016 (IMOCA Maître CoQ)

Winner of the New York – Vendée (Les Sables d’Olonne)

Three times winner of Solitaire du Figaro

2nd in the 2014 Route du Rhum (IMOCA Maître CoQ)

Winner of Transat Jacques Verbe with Jean-Pierre Dick in 2011

FTP Link: https://volvooceanrace.brickftp.com/f/2b7c4bb87

via Vendée Globe star Jérémie Beyou takes on Volvo Ocean Race challenge as Dongfeng Race Team name world class trio| Volvo Ocean Race.

Southern Spars step up as Volvo Ocean Race official rig package supplier

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Amalia Infante / Volvo Ocean Race

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Amalia Infante/Volvo Ocean Race

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Matt Knighton/Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race

Southern Spars, the world’s leading carbon fibre spar manufacturer, will be the official supplier of the full rig package for the One Design Volvo Ocean 65 fleet for a second consecutive race (full story below).

Southern Spars, the world’s leading carbon fibre spar manufacturer, will be the official supplier of the full rig package for the One Design Volvo Ocean 65 fleet for a second consecutive race, a move that strengthens the Auckland-based company’s historic ties with sailing’s toughest team challenge.

Southern Spars have been supplying spars to Volvo Ocean Race podium finishers since 1989-90 when Sir Peter Blake secured a commanding victory on Steinlager 2.

They will again supply the high modulus masts, high modulus racing box boom and a full EC6 bundled carbon fibre rod rigging package with deflected backstays for the Volvo Ocean 65 fleet.

The Volvo Ocean 65 masts measure 30.30m (99.4 ft) – about the same height as a 10-storey building. The mast is one of the most dynamic and complex components on a Volvo Ocean 65 as it transfers all of the power generated by the wind and sails to the boat.

Within one-design rules, all 10 rigs (for the eight Volvo Ocean 65s, plus two spares) must be identical in terms of dimensions, weight and stiffness. Southern Spars’ robust production processes guarantee this.

Nick Bice, Chief Technical Development Officer at the Volvo Ocean Race said: “We can 100% rely on Southern Spars for their delivery of the One Design masts and combined with their service support as the teams race around the planet, we are in the best hands possible.”

Southern Spars have made rigs for 38 Volvo Ocean Race teams over the years and there’s a good reason why they are the leaders in their field today.

Steve Wilson, Senior Designer at Southern Spars, explains: “Some of the materials we use here, like Thin Ply Technology (TPT), is exclusive to Southern Spars and that allowed us a lot of flexibility in the design, to strengthen the masts where they need to be stronger, lower the stresses and basically just make a safer product for the guys on the water.”

The rigs: a fact file

Within one-design rules, all rigs must be identical in terms of dimensions, weight and stiffness. The first 11 rigs to be bend-tested for the 2014-15 race showed a discrepancy of just 1.4mm across the board. The weight of the masts, as they were delivered to the boats, varied by just 1.35kg from heaviest to lightest – that’s a difference of 0.32%. The centre of gravities of the masts varied by just 0.2%.

The deck-stepped mast has a tube length of 28.4m and is built from High Modulus Carbon Fibre. It was designed in-house by Southern Spars using the DesMan and RigCalc software packages, integrated with the North Sails design software.The two companies have a long history of collaborating on masts and sails to achieve the ultimate above the deck package and this process produces the most integrated rig package possible, with the mast and sails performing in concert to produce the optimum shape and drive at all times.

Structurally, there are 202 pieces of Carbon Fibre pre-preg in each mast tube, with an additional 52 patches of structural reinforcement. Southern Spars’ manufacture process, which includes the use of accurately placed ultra-thin layers of carbon, allows designers to be extremely precise with the placement and orientation of fibre, leading to the lightest yet most structurally sound masts available.

The Volvo Ocean 65 sports a 7.68m racing box boom again built from high modulus carbon and weighing 68kgs. Its deep section provides maximum stiffness to weight efficiency and provides extra downwind sail area. With internal locks at the outboard end of the boom, reefing is made efficient for the crew to manage in strong winds.

The rigging consists of nine separate stays and is constructed from intermediate modulus carbon fibre, with main stays that have a 26-ton minimum break load. The ECsix carbon rigging is four times lighter than comparative nitronic steel rigging.

It has a multistrand construction based on a bundle of small rods for safety, durability, longevity and flexibility in the toughest conditions. ECsix cables are the most resilient rigging product on the planet. Their patented construction makes them immune to compression failures, crack propagation and highly resistant to impact and abrasion.

It has a multistrand construction based on a bundle of small rods for safety, durability, longevity and flexibility in the toughest conditions. ECsix cables are the most resilient rigging product on the planet. Their patented construction makes them immune to compression failures, crack propagation and highly resistant to impact and abrasion.

VIDEO PACKAGE:

FTP: https://volvooceanrace.brickftp.com/f/d68d5a3a4

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvglAkJKwlo

via Southern Spars step up as Volvo Ocean Race official rig package supplier| Volvo Ocean Race.

MAPFRE sign up Ñeti as their onboard ‘MacGyver’

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María Muiña/ MAPFRE

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María Muiña/ MAPFRE

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María Muiña/ MAPFRE

Ñeti, the 35-year-old from Santander in the north of Spain, will be taking part in the race for the fourth successive edition. He made his debut on Telefónica Black in 2008-09 and returned with Telefónica in 2011-12 and MAPFRE in 2014-15

‘Ñetifans’ around the world can start working on new banners after MAPFRE announced Antonio “Ñeti” Cuervas-Mons as the third member of their team for the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18.

Ñeti, the 35-year-old from Santander in the north of Spain, will be taking part in the race for the fourth successive edition. He made his debut on Telefónica Black in 2008-09 and returned with Telefónica in 2011-12 and MAPFRE in 2014-15.

In each of those races, he’s sailed alongside Xabi Fernández and the skipper for 2017-18 is delighted to have him back as both bowman and boat captain.

So impressed is Xabi with his countryman’s resourcefulness that he refers to him as a ‘MacGyver’, in reference to the cult TV character who always seemed to find an ingenious fix for any problem.

“Ñeti is a very good and multi-skilled sailor,” said Xabi. “This will be our fourth edition on the same team and I look forward to working with him again.”

Ñeti is also famous in Spain for the group of ‘Ñetifans’ who follow him around the world cheering their support.

“I am really pleased to be involved in the Volvo Ocean Race again,” said Nēti. “Our main focus now is to start preparing the boat, choose a good crew and make sure the team is in the best possible position come October.

“The objective is to always be on the podium because we know perfectly well, because we went through it, that you can pay a high price for a problem on even a single leg.”

MAPFRE was the second fully re-fitted Volvo Ocean 65 in the water this week in Lisbon and the team – which also includes the previously announced Pablo Arrarte – are due to start training shortly.

via MAPFRE sign up Ñeti as their onboard ‘MacGyver’| Volvo Ocean Race.

Email Print British Vendée Globe initiative23 Feb 2017Artemis Ocean Racing IMOCA 60 Photo: Mark LloydVendée2020Vision was launched to support British sailors on their path to success in the quadrennial singlehanded non-stop round the world race – the Vendée Globe.Currently, the event is the pinnacle in the solo offshore racing calendar and has created many British legends from early pioneers such as Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Sir Chay Blyth.The initiative was created by Southampton-based yacht racing management company Whitecap and is supported by Artemis Investment Management. It is seeking to rejuvenate British participation in the solo non-stop around the world race.“Through Vendée2020Vision, British singlehanded offshore sailing has a huge amount to offer a commercial partner,” said Simon Clay, CEO of Whitecap.“We are working with some exceptional youth talent, nurturing their potential with the belief that we can achieve the first British winner of a solo non-stop around the world race for over 50 years in 2020.”Vendée2020Vision sailors have had the opportunity to participate on training days with Dee Caffari, the only woman to have sailed around the world singlehanded in both directions, to learn the ropes on the Artemis Ocean Racing IMOCA 60.In 2016, Vendée2020Vision sailors competed on the IMOCA 60 in 3,000 miles of Royal Ocean Racing Club offshore events. This culminated in them winning the club’s Canting Keel Class trophy for the season.

via Boating Business | British Vendée Globe initiative.

Cool drone footage of Dongfeng Race Team on the water

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Eloi Stichelbaut/Dongfeng Race Team

Dongfeng is back in the water and training is well underway for the returning Chinese campaign. Stunning drone footage of the re-fitted Volvo Ocean 65 has been released as the team hit the water off the coast of Lisbon.

As the remaining boats continue to undergo the €1 million re-fit process, Charles Caudrelier is the first skipper out on the water with his upgraded Volvo Ocean 65. The French skipper has yet to announce his sailing squad for the next edition of the race but the team have said it will once again feature a mixed Chinese and western crew and will take advantage of new rules designed to encourage female sailors to take part.

Caudrelier has been working hard for months on this new campaign that he hopes will build on the team’s impressive third place on debut in the Volvo Ocean Race in 2014-15.

Dongfeng Race Team are backed by Dongfeng Motor Corporation, one of the largest automobile manufacturers in China.

To download the footage from FTP, click here: https://volvooceanrace.brickftp.com/f/9490578f4

To embed the Youtube video, click here: https://youtu.be/f8zUaX2_124

via Cool drone footage of Dongfeng Race Team on the water| Volvo Ocean Race.

The 10 most impactful youngsters in Volvo Ocean Race history

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Sam Greenfield/Dongfeng Race Team/Volvo Ocean Race

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Patrick Anderson/Volvo Ocean Race

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Pienkawa Archive

Age is just a number, right? Well, yes – according to some of the sailors who’ve tackled the world’s toughest ocean test. Here, we look back at some of the most iconic young sailors in the race’s four-and-a-half decade history.

Age is just a number, right? Well, yes – according to some of the sailors who’ve tackled the world’s toughest ocean test. They say ‘if you’re good enough, you’re old enough’, and this lot certainly proved that. Here, we look back at some of the most iconic young sailors in the race’s four-and-a-half decade history.

Sir Peter Blake

When: 1973-74, Burton Cutter

Age: 24

He’s known now as one of the Race’s biggest legends, having competed five times and won once, leading Steinlager 2 to an unprecedented clean sweep of line, handicap and overall honours in 1989-90. But Blake made his first appearance in the race over a decade and a half earlier, as watch captain onboard Burton Cutter – leading them to a first leg win into Cape Town.

Liu Xue (‘Black’)

When: 2014-15, Dongfeng Race Team

Age: 21

Dongfeng’s Chinese star almost didn’t make it to the start line – quitting during training due to homesickness – and it was only some persuasion from team manager, Bruno Dubois, who convinced him to rejoin the troops a few months before the race began. He captured hearts across China, and went on to win the media war – ending the race as the most mentioned Chinese sailor online.

Lionel Péan

When: 1985-86, L’Esprit d’Equipe

Age: 29

The fourth edition was all about the story of an old boat – and the youngest winning skipper in the race’s history. With a crew of eight and a 58-foot boat, France’s Péan saw his team battle with UBS Switzerland all around the world, triumphing on overall handicap to scoop the trophy. A full 25 years later, Péan would once again skipper L’Esprit d’Equipe to victory in the first Legends Regatta and Renunion, complete with his original crew, on the eve of the race start in 2011-12 from Alicante.

Simon Le Bon

When: 1985-86, Drum

Age: 26

What do you do when you’re a global popstar looking to change your lifestyle? Well, you could ditch the microphone, and join a Whitbread Round the World Race (Volvo Ocean Race) campaign – at least that’s what Duran Duran’s frontman Simon Le Bon did during a band hiatus in the mid-80s. But the singer didn’t just hop on for the ride, he was determined to do the race as a full crewmember. “We work the same, sleep the same, eat the same, and that’s how Simon wants it,” said Drum skipper Skip Novak.

via The 10 most impactful youngsters in Volvo Ocean Race history| Volvo Ocean Race.

Tracy Edwards

When: 1989-90, Maiden

Age: 27

When Tracy Edwards had the idea to take part in the Whitbread in 1989-90, she was a 23-year-old charter boat cook with no crew, no sponsorship and no boat. Hardly anyone believed that she could put a team together to compete. No all-female team had rounded Cape Horn before – but out on the racetrack, Edwards and her crew made a mockery of predictions that they would not have the strength or the stamina to withstand the world’s most gruelling contest. Not only did they survive, they proved seriously competitive and won both the Southern Ocean legs of the race in Division D.

Grant Dalton

When: 1981-82, Flyer II

Age: 22

Tough Kiwi Grant has five Volvo Ocean Races under his belt, and got his hands on the trophy at the first time of asking, sailing with Dutch legend Conny van Rietschoten onboard Flyer II in the early 80s. This was Dalton’s first ride in the Whitbread, starting out as a sailmaker, his dream of competing fuelled by the sight of maxis finishing in his home harbour of Auckland four years before.

Iwona Pienkawa

When: 1973-74, Otago

Age: 18

Iwona Pienkawa, a tom-boyish, pipe-smoking girl from Gdansk, is one of the forgotten heroes of the race – a pioneer who was one of the first women in the world to sail around Cape Horn and one of the youngest people ever to complete the Whitbread. At just 18 she managed to convince her father not only to enter a team but also to include her as crew. She delayed her architecture studies at the Technical University to jump onboard Otago, principally as a chef but with an agreement to spend a week out of the galley per leg. She completed all four legs – and received a special trophy from HRH Prince Philip at the prizegiving in 1974. Sadly, Iwona died in a car accident on March 31, 1975 – 17 days before her 20th birthday. Still, her story lives on in Poland. The book she wrote about her experiences in the first Whitbread was published after her death and achieved bestseller status. “She was an athlete, an artist, a philosopher and a daredevil,” remembers her younger sister Renata.

Matthew Humphries

When: 1993-94, Dolphin & Youth/Reebok

Age: 22

A five-time race veteran, Matt remains the youngest skipper in the history of the competition, having led Dolphin & Youth/Reebok at just 22 years old. He completed his first race aged 18, four years earlier, on With Integrity. It was a real test of his leadership skills, as, heading towards Cape Horn, the crew discovered that two keel bolts had sheared, water was pouring in, and the keel was wobbling dangerously. “We left as boys and came back as men,” Humphries said.

Steve Hayles

When: 1993-94 Dolphin & Youth/Reebok

Age: 20

Navigator Steve Hayles was only 20 when he took on the role of navigator on Dolphin and Youth in 1993-94, making him the youngest navigator in the race ever. “The attitude you have to take is ‘take it on and prove yourself as a young sailor’,” he said in an interview some years later. Completing the race onboard Dolphin & Youth was the launch pad for Hayles into a highly successful professional racing career.

Alain Gabbay

When: 1977-78, 33 Export

Age: 23

The Frenchman was the youngest skipper at his first attempt in the race – and it proved to be an experience he would never forget. On Leg 3 from Auckland to Rio de Janeiro, the boat was rolled 140 degrees and the contents of the chart table emptied into the toilet, leaving spanners, files and screwdrivers embedded in the deck head of the galley, floorboards loose and battery boxes smashed all over the floor. Later, on the same leg, 33 Export broached – water surging across the deck, and slamming Eric Letrosne against the life-rails with such force, it fractured his leg. He needed urgent attention so when the call for medical help went out, Dr Jean Louis Sabarly on Japy-Hermés reported they were preparing for a rendez-vous. When a huge swell prevented that, Dr Sabarly jumped into the sea and swam to 33 Export, where he looked after his patient until the boat docked.

via The 10 most impactful youngsters in Volvo Ocean Race history| Volvo Ocean Race.

Pablo Arrarte joins MAPFRE as watch captain

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Ainhoa Sanchez / Volvo Ocean Race

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© Pedro Freitas/Volvo Ocean Race

Pablo Arrarte will be back for his fourth Volvo Ocean Race in 2017-18, joining Spanish team MAPFRE as watch captain. (full story below)

Pablo Arrarte will be back for his fourth Volvo Ocean Race in 2017-18, joining Spanish team MAPFRE as watch captain.

Arrarte, who raced onboard Brunel in 2014-15, will also assume the role of deputy to Olympic gold medallist Xabi Fernández, who was named as skipper on Friday.

With just 242 days to go until the start of the 2017-18 edition on October 22, preparations are already well underway – and with the 1 million euro re-fit of the Spanish boat almost complete, it won’t be long before MAPFRE are back on the water.

“I’ll be one of two watch captains onboard,” explained Arrarte, who raced with Telefónica Blue in 2008-09, and Telefónica in 2011-12. “I’ll be cover for Xabi, being ultimately responsible for the safety of the crew and making sure that the boat goes as fast as possible whenever I’m on deck.”

It promises to be a busy start with MAPFRE for Arrarte, who will oversee preparations until his fellow Spaniard Xabi completes his duties with Land Rover BAR in the America’s Cup.

“The next step is to begin training in March when the boat comes out of the Boatyard’s re-fit process in Lisbon,” he said. “The aim of this training is to complete squad selection – so we’ll be trying people out, including some new sailors and female sailors. That’s really important for us.”

He continued: “With the new crew selection rules coming into play this edition, it’s really important that when we leave Alicante we have maximum flexibility in terms of numbers, and we know the boat perfectly.”

MAPFRE’s goal will be to become the first Spanish team to win the Volvo Ocean Race trophy.

“We’re here to win,” said Arrarte. “We know it’s an extremely difficult challenge, and almost all of the teams come here with the same objective, so we have to be a bit conservative and not break too many things over the course of the race. It’s about being consistent, without too many issues, and if you manage that then you’re in with a chance.”

He continued: “Since the last race, with the addition of one-design boats, you know that you are racing with the same tools and equipment as the other teams, so the only difference is the performance of the crews. Thanks to MAPFRE, we’ll have everything we need to be competitive – and hopefully win.”

via Pablo Arrarte joins MAPFRE as watch captain| Volvo Ocean Race.