Risk management


A one-design Volvo Ocean Race equals tight racing around the planet – that was certainly the case with the VO65 one-designs introduced for the last edition of the event. But things could change considerably next time around… Blue Robinson talked to Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s 2014/2015 race winning navigator Simon Fisher about rewriting the risk-reward equation as a result of ‘opening up’ the next edition of the race in 2017/18


Seahorse Magazine: Volvo Ocean Race CEO Mark Turner raised the element of a sheep mentality in the last race. How much of this was true, do you think? Simon Fisher: From our team perspective onboard Azzam we were well prepared and so we set off with the mentality that we would be conservative, we wouldn’t take too many risks and would play the


32 SEAHORSE


fleet, and with this preparation and good boat speed we were hoping other boats would fall off the back of us. By not taking risks and by consistently scoring good results we would do well, which was how it played out. I know from speaking to guys in other teams as the race progressed that they saw our approach as a good one, so when everyone got closer and learned from each other, sure, a herd mentality started to develop. SH: This is after all a one-design fleet… SF: Exactly. When we used to race on the VO70s every boat was different, with each having optimum angles and each with a slightly different sail package, so there were times you had to commit to sailing to the angle that was fast for you. Now with a one-design boat, theoretically everyone’s optimum angles are the same, and this, tied with the fact we can see each other on AIS all the time, meant it was close and so nobody wanted to take a big risk. Taking a risk means you might win a leg, but you also might come in sixth or seventh. So as the race went on the teams that we expected to take risks adjusted to a more conservative mindset to stay in the mix. For the stronger teams it made little sense to try to win a leg with a risky option. SH: Ian Walker (Abu Dhabi skipper) didn’t have to reign you in at any stage?


SF: No, in fact out of the two of us I can say Ian was a little more pro-risk. By nature I am quite conservative and so between us we balanced out the decision-making really well. We took a conservative approach and aimed for podium positions. Certainly, I was very lucky as a navigator to be put in a position where this was possible, to have such a strong, fast team around me. SH: On the shore you had navigator and routeur Marcel Van Trieste to assist the team. How much of a difference did a resource like that make? SF: Clearly that was a huge asset. Working with Marcel and Chris Bedford was fan- tastic, to work with people of the calibre of both these guys was invaluable. The approach we took to preparing each leg worked well. We were very diligent on what we could predict, but also looking carefully at what was beyond what we could predict. We tried to always have a good grasp of what normally happens in a certain part of the ocean so that what unfolds doesn’t come as a surprise. And that worked. When you are in a


difficult spot, having to make a decision with such a tight fleet, prior knowledge and proper discussion of the options makes the decision-making both easier and also more likely to be correct. SH: With the VOR so close now and


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88