RESUMENES DE LA CURSADA
LOS 3 MOMENTOS EPISTEMOLOGICOS
Justin Slattery, 40,
(below) will embark
on his fifth consec-
utive Volvo Ocean
Race. Slattery is a
tough Irish bloke,
the product of a
self-made father in
County Wexford,
Ireland. “There’s one
thing I learned from
him,” he says. “When
you start a job, you
always finish it.”
T H E V E T E R A N
P E R S P E C T I V E
Y O U W E R E A FA N O F T H E V O LV O O C E A N R A C E S I N C E Y O U W E R E 1 4 . H O W D I D Y O U B E C O M E A W A R E O F I T ?I was lucky to have the opportunity to step aboard NCB Ireland one day in Dunmore East Harbor (Country Waterford, Ireland). I went down with my fa- ther. We took a RIB out and jumped aboard. I remember being to- tally captivated by the sense of adventure and how cool what these guys were about to do. I’d never sailed at that point but it always stuck with me. It wasn’t until I started sailing at 17 that I started on the road to getting there.
W H AT K E E P S B R I N G I N G Y O U B A C K T O T H E R A C E ?
Certainly, the racing. I don’t do it for the pay- check, or I won’t sur- vive long in this game. It’s too punishing; no amount of money can justify what we do out there sometimes. It’s all about the sail- ing. We’re crossing the major oceans and that opens up the doors to some of the most phe- nomenal sailing we can do. We do 5-, 6-, 10-day stretches in the open ocean, and we let the boats do what they can’t do anywhere else in the world in any kind of racing. I love com- petitive racing of any nature. Put it together with this race and it’s one of the best in the world in terms of off - shore events.
A N D I T T E S T S Y O U R S K I L L S ?
We end up in some absolutely ridiculous situations for all sorts of reasons. We see ev- ery type of weather pattern and every chal- lenging sea state for the boats. Sometimes the boats break, and usually we’re often the furthest away from land as can be. Satel- lites are closer than the nearest point of land, and you have to deal with it. Everyone’s driv- ing, trimming, doing ev- erything. I guess that’s what sets this race apart, is the ability for everyone to fi ll a lot of positions.
W H AT ’ S Y O U R M O S T M E M O R A B L E E X P E R I E N C E ?
The fi rst race is al- ways special. Rocking up in Southampton is something I’ll never for- get. Suddenly I’m with the big names I’d read about for years and taking part in one of the biggest challenges in my life.
I love the old route. I started out in the VO60s in my fi rst edi- tion. And the old route’s special, with two proper, full-on Southern Ocean legs. As the race progressed the course has devi- ated as commercial interests have taken over. Volvo has been a fantastic race partner; they’ve held the event since I’ve been doing it. We have to remember without companies like that the race may not be here. So we have to buy into the race going to these destinations to keep it commer- cially viable and hap- pening. Even though it’s off that traditional track, the racing’s still phenomenal. As long as seven boats are do- ing what we do, we can send them anywhere.
Abu Dhabi’s Justin Slattery knows when a facefull is coming.
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n offshore sailing pow- erhouse China is not, but it is the world’s largest economy, and an impor- tant commerical partner of the race. With Volvo AB (Volvo trucks, which owns the race) purchasing 45 percent of Dongfeng Mo- tor Group in 2014, they’re now a truck manufacturing power in the world’s larg- est truck market.To kickstart a new gen- eration of offshore sailors, Donfeng enlisted French skipper Charles Caudrelier to lead the enviable task of developing a team from scratch. Caudrielier is the least known of the VOR skippers, but he served as performance manag- er with Frank Cammas’ Groupama (winner of the last edition). He’s a whiz with the technical, and his equal on the manage- ment side is Groupama teammate Martin Strom- berg, of Sweden, said to be the “glue” between Dongfeng’s four Chinese natives and the remaining French crewmembers.
The program is small in scale and most of its early days were spent trying out Chinese candidates. The language barrier will be an undeniable challenge. “It’s very difficult,” says Caudri- elier, “especially with three languages, but that is what the training is for, to im- prove the communications. Everyone speaks English, but some not very well.”
The first step to as- similating this first-gen- eration of Chinese ocean racers into the offshore racing fraternity was to as- sign them nicknames. The hopes of a rising sailing na- tion are therefore riding on Kit, Leo, Horace, and Wolf.
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TEAM DONFENG CHARLES CAUDRELIER, skipper of the Volvo Ocean Race’s first full-fledged Chinese entry, admits his team faces a long uphill climb. With four young and inexperienced sailors learning the ropes, he’s optimistic of their improvement, but the ul- timate goal is to raise awareness and the profile of sailing in China. Photo: Yvan Zedda/Team Dongfeng
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SEP TEMBER/OC T OBER 2014G e a r to G o A r o u n d t h e Wo r l d
Besides competitive drive, physical fitness, and a strong team, it takes specialized gear to outfit Volvo Ocean Race sailors. Team Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing partnered with Musto and other suppliers to outfit each member for all 38,739 miles. (FROMTOPLEFT) 01Harness for clipping in after dark and
in heavy weather. 02Musto Dynamic Pro Sailing Shoes The rubber soles have two different tread patterns to improve surface grip. 03Fourth El- ement 5mm Neoprene Hood (on top) and WaterSport 5mm Hood (underneath) To prevent cranial heat loss, the Neoprene hoods provide warmth and spray protection. 04Fourth Element Neoprene Dive Gloves These 5mm waterproof gloves are lined with Fourth Element’s Thermoflex. Their carbonite finish provides both durability and grip. 05Fourth Element Beanie For use under a hood as an extra layer of warmth or on its own, the beanies are made of Polartec Powerstretch which was originally developed for use by NASA. 06Gecko MK11 marine safety helmet Volvo Race teams take their cranial safety seriously. The spray shield is ideal for wear in rough seas, when head and eye protection is most vital. The helmet also includes an integral communications unit. 07WaterSports Neoprene Gloves Lighter and waterproof for when dexterity and chafe protection are paramount. 08Crewsaver Ergofit 290 Lifejacket Customized for Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. 09Musto Southern Ocean Boots Named after the daunting stretch of ocean that is the fifth race leg, these boots keep feet dry, warm, and firmly planted on the deck. 10Musto HPX Dry Smock Is the top half of the dry gear. Built with GORETEX PRO and an Ocean Technology membrane, the full suit offers 2 to 3 hours survival time in 34-degree water. 11Musto HPX Salopettes The most important piece of dry gear, designed for all conditions. The sailor’s salopette covers the legs and chest.
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s their competitors Team SCA, Alvimedica, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, and Brunel were wrapping up their pre-race training and final crew selections, the anticipated sixth en- try from Spain finally came out of hiding behind Olym- pic 49er gold medalists Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernán- dez, the same pair that led Telefonica’s campaigns in 2008 and 2011 (finishing third in the later).Whereas its rivals have a formidable jump-start on developing performance polars, sail crossovers, and crew chemistry, the skiff- sailing Spaniards have proven they’re comfortable keeping the pedal down when given the opportu- nity. It’s a one-design, and when they figure it out, they’ll be plenty fast.
In July, with no official sponsorship announce- ment, they went about getting up to speed on the VO65 under the direc- tion of Michel Desjoyeaux, aka “el profesor,” one of France’s most successful ocean racers. It’s no coin- cidence that Desjoyeaux also helped Martinez and Fernandez hastily prepare for their 2010 Barcelona World Race (doublehand- ed, around-the-world) in which they finished sec- ond overall.
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TEAM CAMPOS IKER MARTINEZcontinues the tradition of Spanish teams competing in the Volvo Ocean Race. Although extreme- ly late to the party, he has the knowledge and experience to quickly get his teammates up to speed. If recent history is any indication, the Spaniard will no doubt be a podium contender by mid-race. Photo: Francisco Vignale/Team Campos