Damian Foxall (IRL), one of the biggest names in offshore sailing, is joining Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier\/FRA) for the forthcoming treacherous Leg 5 (full story see below).<\/p>\n
– Ireland\u2019s top sailor joins Dongfeng Race Team for Leg 5<\/p>\n
– Navigator Bid\u00e9gorry returns to Chinese boat\u2019s crew<\/p>\n
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, March 5 \u2013 Damian Foxall (IRL), one of the biggest names in offshore sailing, is joining Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier\/FRA) for the forthcoming treacherous Leg 5.<\/p>\n
Caudrelier and Foxall were on the Groupama boat that won the 2011-12 edition. The Irishman was the natural choice when Dongfeng\u2019s skipper looked for an experienced sailor to bolster his line-up for the 6,776-nautical mile (nm) stage from Auckland to Itaja\u00ed, Brazil, through the Southern Ocean and round Cape Horn.<\/p>\n
Foxall, who has competed in four previous Volvo Ocean Races, arrived in Auckland fresh from victory in the EFG Sailing Arabia \u2013 The Tour (SATT), sailing with the renowned French sailor, Sidney Gavignet.<\/p>\n
He said on Thursday that he was thrilled to link up again with Caudrelier, who has guided his China-backed team to joint top of the current race standings.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am delighted to be back \u2018in the saddle\u2019. This will be the 10th round-the-world event that I will be involved in and my eighth rounding of Cape Horn,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a privilege to have the opportunity to join Charles and the boys onboard Dongfeng who have been doing such an exemplary job. My role is to fit in as seamlessly as possible and to bring the benefit of a fresh person to the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is hard to overstate the difficulty of the Volvo Ocean Race for the sailors and teams, the longest sporting event in any sport, and it is exactly this, the duration, that makes it so hard. A planned rotation of the crew at key times has become a crucial part of any successful team’s strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caudrelier agrees. \u201cThis leg is going to be a tough, freezing cold, with big seas and strong winds \u2013 only the toughest sailors can endure it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Foxall could not be joining the race at a more challenging time. The first three boats finished the 5,264nm Leg 4 within just over eight minutes of each other after 20 days at sea with MAPFRE (Xabi Fern\u00e1ndez\/ESP) becoming the fourth team to win a leg.<\/p>\n
Dongfeng Race Team won the second leg into their home port of Sanya from Abu Dhabi in January.<\/p>\n
Foxall will replace Thomas Rouxel (FRA) on this leg, continuing the crew rotation programme set by Caudrelier to ensure his eight-man crew are fighting fit and bringing fresh energy into the team.<\/p>\n
Navigator, Pascal Bid\u00e9gorry (FRA), is back and will undoubtedly find the Southern Ocean leg less painful than being rested on land as he was for Leg 4. Caudrelier has yet to confirm which of his Chinese sailors will sail in the forthcoming stage.<\/p>\n
The crew will be announced next week for the leg, which sets off on Sunday, March 15.<\/p>\n
Damian Foxall’s four Volvo Ocean Race\u00a0appearances<\/p>\n
2001-02 (Tyco)<\/p>\n
2005-06 (Ericsson)<\/p>\n
2008-09 (Green Dragon)<\/p>\n
2011-12 (Groupama sailing team)<\/p>\n
via Damian\u2019s back!| Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Damian Foxall (IRL), one of the biggest names in offshore sailing, is joining Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier\/FRA) for the forthcoming treacherous Leg 5 (full story see below). – Ireland\u2019s top sailor joins Dongfeng Race Team for Leg 5 – … Continue reading