MADRID, 13 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The skippers of the IMOCA and VO65 fleets of the Ocean Race offered their impressions this Friday two days before the start of the regatta that will go around the world, a start in Alicante for which they count the hours watching the 32,000-mile challenge.
The 50th anniversary of the regatta will have the longest leg in its history, 12,750 miles from Cape Town (South Africa) to Itajaí (Brazil). About 30 days of stage in which the IMOCA fleet will submerge in the South Ocean, perhaps the greatest challenge.
“Never in my life have I been on board with a crew for 30 days,” admitted the co-skipper of the GUYOT environment-Team Europe (FRA/GER), Benjamin Dutreux, a team in which the Spanish Olympic champion Támara Echegoyen competes.
“I think Stage 3 will be particularly difficult, as the key will be knowing when to slow down and when to push hard,” summed up 11th Hour Racing Team (USA) skipper Charlie Enright. “We may end up sailing 70 percent of the time on autopilot, that’s certainly a big ask,” he added.
Meanwhile, Paul Meilhat of Biotherm (FRA) hopes to have some advantage. “For sure Stage 3 will be difficult because we will go down to the south, but three members of our crew have already been there alone in an IMOCA. For us, Stages 1 and 2 will be the most difficult,” he said.
The challenge of sailing with a full crew also left different responses. “When you’re sailing solo you don’t tend to get stressed as you can do things at your own pace, but as a skipper you have a number of responsibilities to the crew so I expect to feel more stress at the beginning,” Meilhat said.
Team Holcim-PRB (SUI) skipper Kevin Escoffier agreed. “It’s easier when you’re sailing alone, but with four other partners you have to think about them,” he said. In addition, the development of the ships will have its secrets, but not for everything. “If it’s a safety issue, we’ll share all the information that can help. I wouldn’t want to win a stage knowing that a boat was broken because the information was not shared,” he added.
The 11th Hour Racing Team might be the favorites because they were the first to announce their team and have had a three-year lead-up to the start with a new IMOCA designed specifically for full-crew racing, but Enright points out that any potential perceived advantage It must be put in context.
“Three years compared to the great experience that I see in the sailors that I have next to me mean nothing,” he concluded. On the other hand, the skippers of the VO65 also participated in the press conference and will be the first to leave on Sunday.
Stage 1 of The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint will take them from Alicante to Cape Verde, so they were also very focused on the challenge ahead. After winning the In-Port Race last weekend, Pablo Arrarte’s Windwhisper Racing Team (POL), from Cantabria, was the most requested.
“All the teams are very good and having that race as a training session was great, but we signed up quite late and we’ve been training every day we could, so I hope it goes well for us,” he said.
For António Fontes, who has already competed in The Ocean Race 2017-18, and is now skipper of the Portuguese Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team, the regatta provides a valuable opportunity to inspire the next generation. “This project has worked to develop Portuguese ocean sailing and this regatta helps the next generation to step up and gain experience,” he said.
Dutch sailors represent the largest nationality in the VO65 fleet. “I am very happy with my crew,” says the JAJO (NED) team skipper, Jelmer van Beek, whose Dutch crew includes veteran Bouwe Bekking, who has eight editions to his credit as well as Simbad Quiroga from the Canary Islands: “He will be chief watchman It’s great to have so much experience on board.”
For the skipper of the Viva México (MEX), Erik Brockmann, and in which the Spaniards Roberto Bermúdez de Castro sails, his son Carlos, as well as Jaime Arbones, there is a special reason to compete. “Fifty years was a long time without having Mexico in this great regatta (after the victory in the first edition of Sayula), so we are very happy to be here at the starting line representing Mexico,” he said.