Opposite: already a Volvo winner (on Groupama) Charles Caudrelier’s Dongfeng took first blood in the 2017-18 edition by winning the Fastnet VO65 class by under a minute from Mapfre. But thereafter it was the Spanish entry all the way, wrapping up Leg Zero after the course was shortened in light winds off northern Spain. The final – drifting – leg was won by Vestas (left) with another Groupama alumnae, Damian Foxall a watch leader in US skipper Charlie Enright’s crew. This is Enright’s second Volvo having skippered Alvimedica to 5th place three years ago
water. We haven’t done a lot of sailing together yet – only two teams have – so it still feels slightly novel to review our improvements after each day on the water. SH: Annemieke [Bes], when did you first consider the race – and when were you approached by AkzoNobel? Annemieke Bes: Well, this is a longterm dream. I sailed in three Olympic Games, then I trialled with SCA in the last VOR; that was a great kick-start into offshore sailing. I really liked what I found so it was a great opportunity to sign with these guys this time. SH: Thoughts on joining the team? AB: No hesitation, that’s for sure! It’s a great opportunity but, to be honest, in some areas I don’t know what to expect. I think at the beginning there was a fair bit of debate when the new rule was announced allowing mixed teams, but after we trained and sailed together it was pretty clear you need the women onboard. You just need the hands on these boats. SH: Dee [Caffari], chatting with the sailors onboard Turn the Tide on Plastic during the Fastnet, I discovered that none of your young crew have crossed the Equator, let alone experienced the Southern Ocean! Dee Caffari: The scary thing is that in three months I will be taking them into the south and the burden of responsibility is huge. But what is great is that the safety conver- sations in the briefing you sat in on were being led by the crew – that it came from them this early in their training. But I also pointed out that when it is cold, wet and scary in the south you will not be on deck more than you need to be; so making them realise that right now, that personal man- agement and the ability to sustain them- selves for the next intense 12 months are as important as sailing ability… this is the part I think they still underestimate. SH: Blair [Tuke] – you returned to the AC World Series in Toulon from Rio last year as a freshly minted gold medallist and I walked through your team tent to see you and Pete [Burling] sweeping the floor…
That says a lot about the New Zealand and particularly the ETNZ culture. What can you say so far about the Xabi Fernández and Mapfre team culture! Blair Tuke: Certainly it’s been great to get here and get settled in with the team. This was the perfect opportunity for me and so far I have been enjoying the vibe and cul- ture that Xabi and the guys have. Xabi is a strong sailor who leads by example, so it is an interesting balance of an easy, calm cul- ture while looking hard at what lies ahead. SH: You must have been approached by many of the best grand prix programmes. BT: This isn’t something I jumped at straight after the Cup in Bermuda, I have been talking to Xabi about this for a long time. Mapfre did the last VOR and per- formed well, and Xabi has put a really good team in place this time; so with me always wanting to race in the Volvo, and even though it was a rapid turnaround after Bermuda, this is the right time for me and a great opportunity. SH: Personal focus… BT: For me, I need to get into and under- stand these boats as I still haven’t sailed them much. So I have a lot of learning on the mechanics and how to make them go fast in the range of conditions as driver and trimmer. It’s a talented group: Joan [Vila] as navigator, Xabi is a great leader, Robbie [Greenhalgh], Sophie, Neti… all the team are strong so we just need to spend the time working together, getting smooth and ensuring all the sail transitions are solid. SH: Sophie [Ciszek] – How long to recover from your last Volvo? Sophie Ciszek: A full couple of months for sure. Once you are out of the Volvo envi- ronment your body keeps telling you it needs to recover more. In Volvo mode you just keep on going. SH:Which areas? SC: For me it was always my back. I have been working on it since I injured it in the last race and probably will be for the rest of my life… SH:How tough is the modern VOR on the body generally?
SC: I don’t think you can describe how tough it is. It’s not only physically tough… mentally it’s insanely tough. You are sleep deprived, you are struggling with weight loss. I lost weight on every single leg last time which meant I had to be smart with what I ate each time I got ashore. SH: So physical preparation this time… SC: Well, you don’t want to put on too much weight if it is fat. You want to build muscle, especially if you are a woman. It’s really important to get as much muscle on as you can; having said that I have also been working pretty hard for the past few months recovering from another injury. So consistent rehab work there in the gym, but working also on strength areas and with a cardio and a recovery day every few days. SH:What was the corporate feedback about raising another all-women team? SC: We have been trying to push and promote every angle of women’s sailing, in every discipline, in dinghies, Olympics, high performance, foiling, offshore, every- one from the SCA team has been out there trying to spread this further. I wasn’t in the group looking for sponsorship this time, but apparently there were times we came close as an all-girls project. But as a group we’d also set ourselves a deadline… then as that approached the rules changed to include women in the teams. It was obvious for me to switch to another project. SH: A big Southern Ocean leg occurs early in this race from Cape Town to Melbourne. How do you prepare for that mentally? SC: Having done the last race certainly it will be easier. But mentally I like to do a lot of visualisation, playing everything through in my mind and preparing mentally for staying safe onboard. I feel very good with the guys I am sailing with, I respect and trust them all, I know they are good, so that sits well in my mind, which is exciting. Actually, I think heading into the Southern Ocean early is better as we will be fitter and sharper from the start. It will be fun! SH: Thoughts, Blair? BT: It’s great to be able to do that South- ern Ocean leg – it’s been a while since that was in the race at all, so for me to come into this event is really cool. And part of the drive for me to get here early and get settled into the team is to be ready for the race start and for that first big leg. These months of preparation are very
important for me. I’m pretty sure I’ll be ready to send it in the south…
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