Editorial Andrew Hurst Now the work begins


The new owners of the Volvo Ocean Race have not lost the Midas touch. First the founders of Atlant Ocean Racing, Richard Brisius and Johan Salén, were prudently hired to lead the race after the departure of the previous CEO, then they put themselves in a position to cut a deal when Volvo, as expected, put a great property on the block.


You would have to combine the budgets of 10 of the biggest non-


Atlant campaigns to get close to the sum of money these two have brought into the race since getting involved in the 1980s. They have run a string of immaculate programmes, have won the race twice, with EF Language and Ericsson 4 and with Ericsson enjoyed that rarest of accolades: a sponsor happy to return for a second bite. Then, within months of appointment, Brisius and Salén found


themselves running a round the world yacht race close enough to keep the fans chewing their nails, as a more mature one-design fleet, teams having now figured out how to make the boats go, fully delivered on its initial promise. The final stage of this race, with three boats starting a complex 700nm course tied on points, was so perfect as to barely be believable... Then to cap it off a Chinese boat won – a result that is not only popular but the commercial ramifications of which saw the Atlant pair grinning nearly as much as Charles Caudrelier. The Midas touch. The chips are falling nicely for Atlant – and, believe me, they


really are, securing the race, a sponsor for 2021, plus a fleet of VO65s to get started – but more important is that Brisius and Salén are confident they can reverse the decline of an event that is a part of sailing’s heritage. Atlant get fundraising and they get the harsh realities of what the market can stand… also how not to sell yourself short in the desperate effort to cross the startline. And as you’d expect from close friends of one of the race’s icons, the late Magnus Olsson, they value the event at a personal level. But it will not be enough to caretake the next edition while planning


If the Imoca deal happens there is potential for a ready-made


A and B class. Eight VO65s are bought and paid for, depreciated and owing their owners, basically Volvo, next to nothing. Another way into the event for a small team playing a long game. Equally important is that a less costly entry option lowers the


bar for new sponsors willing to take a first step but for whom current budgets are beyond consideration. This has been a road-block in recent races, for the sponsor it has become all or nothing; which is why to maintain a decent field Volvo has had to top up so many programmes – bad for them and a bad look for the race. The Whitbread grew on the back of a broad range of competitors,


then it was ‘refined’ to near-destruction. The signals were there with the parallel demise of the Admiral’s Cup, which also drove away its customers by refining the contest to the point that only the very best need bother turning up. When sailing events are refined too much then entries always dwindle (the exception being the TP52 which weaves its own unique magic). I expect the new owners of the VOR to open things up and gently


grow interest by easing constraints on access; and if you broaden the fleet the offer also becomes more interesting to the big boys. Bigger event, more exposure, more to talk about and follow. Of course it’s a fine line between maintaining a high sporting


level and attracting entries, but it’s one that has been played around with enough now that a confident management has a fair crack at finding the right balance. Two years ago faced with the onslaught of the Ultims and the


600-mile-a-day solo Imocas the survival of the only grand prix crewed round-the-word race looked unlikely. Tapping into that same fleet of 60s seems to offer a way out of a bad situation (it could have happened 10 years ago, but let’s not go there). Assuming it comes together, add a little Midas touch and things


longer term. To survive, the race must quickly grow again to show the world that the new bosses mean business; and that will necessitate opening up the scope for entries. Talk of a deal with Imoca has taken on welcome new momentum,


with the proviso that boats will need toughening up… though not as dramatically as some would have you think. There will be big budget custom VOR-Vendée specials, but there are plenty of good Imocas out there ready to be souped up for a less costly route in. The big boys will of course dominate the results but for the first


time since the 1993/94 Whitbread there is a more attainable first rung on that round-the-world ladder. From there sailors and teams can develop into frontrunners – remember that many successful Volvo sailors including Ian Walker and Sir Peter Blake took several attempts and of escalating scale before finally winning.


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So how cool is that? Katie Perez is on the way to winning the O’pen Bic class at the 4th Dinghy Transpac in Hawaii. Down the Ouahu coast from Hawaii Kai via Diamond Head (tricky light air moment) to Ala Wai harbour at the west end of Waikiki... minding the turtles and dolphins. Frostbite sailors of the world, suck it up


look a lot better than they did only a few months ago. All good so far.


on his boat – the editor loses his deposit with a bust stanchion on his chartered J/80


LOST IN TRANSLATION Yannick Tabarly has asked me to replace the folded candlestick


We don’t care – French police refuse to let four-time F1 world champion Seb Vettel into Paul Ricard for the French Grand Prix after he shows them his pass, his race gear and his driving licence (sic)


32-HOUR WEEK


HARSH It was a bit startling to learn I had died five


years ago – Designer Dick Carter Startling too for my old employee Yves-Marie Tanton… he saw me at a buffet and went white as a ghost and started


shaking rather badly – Carter


Quite amusing... – Carter


q


naked, for God’s sake!! – Niki Lauda (he of a well developed sense of proportion)


Gate… it was crazy – Kite rider Daniela Moroz (aged 13)


I felt pretty ready – Moroz


ba**ard infidels – (still in) Yashed


Seahorse magazine and our associate raceboatsonly brokerage site are both at: seahorsemagazine.com The editor is contactable by email at: andrew@seahorse.co.uk


SEAHORSE 9


in there? – Martin I’m obviously not in your shed, you racist


GOTTA LOVE FACEBOOK “Friends with Amin Yashed” Mate, I’ve looked in my shed and I can’t find you, are you sure you’re


SCARY My first race it blew 25kt with a huge chop from a 5kt ebb out under the Golden


LOSS OF EARNINGS? I do not understand why the grid girls were abolished; they are not


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