“movistar” Team is getting well prepared with an intense training programme in Cape Town. Since last Monday, the Volvo Open 70 has sailed everyday, three-six hours working day in the water, and with an offshore training of 24 hours.
“Now, time is an essential thing and we are taking all the advantage we could of it,”- says Pedro Campos, movistar’s CEO – “The In Port race will be on the 26th and we want to be prepared and ready to get as much points as we could”.
If “movistar” was just testing all the systems on board during her first trial sail in South Africa, she made her work stronger on Tuesday, since she trained for six hours, going further than Cape of Good Hope.
Xabi Fernández pointed out how the second day back in the water was: “It was a long and really fruitful day, where we could reach a good breeze and waves. All the trainings in Cape Town are interesting, as you can be on the big ocean just sailing a few nautic miles; besides you can go from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean and it takes a few hours”.
Sailing in Cape Town’s Bay
On Wednesday and today, the movistar Team was focused on the next inshore race, trying out starts and testing some of the sails in the Cape Town’s Bay. It is really important to know the racing area, especially with this kind of races.
“Yesterday, the wind wasn’t too heavy, if you compare it with the previous days, but at the same time it was enough to tried out starts and some manoeuvres around the marks –mentions Bouwe Bekking-. The boat is working in a really competitive way and the crew has made the manoeuvres perfectly, so it can be said the feelings are good. Besides, each hour we are sailing in the course area is translated into a greater experience, that is vital to us”.
Pepe Ribes, the movistar’s bowman, described the today’s training programme: “Today, we have been focused on the sails. We had found a breeze between 15 and 18 knots, and with this range of wind we could test all the sails we will use in the inshore race. From tomorrow until Monday we will train with the older ones sailing windward-leeward courses”.
Four days before the start of the second inshore race of the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006, the expected sailing conditions in the next In Port are starting to be known by the “movistar” team and the other entries in the Volvo Ocean Race.
“We will reach Southeast winds up to 20-25 knots –explains the South African, Jonathan Swain, one of the movistar’s trimmers-. With the wind coming from this direction, first it will reach Table Mountain, so the shadow of this area will affect the race course showing a really shiftky and a fickler area Certainly, This race is gonna be very interesting”.
Tomorrow, “movistar” will back in action to get more experience in Cape Town’s waters.