Movistar has come back to the Melbourne waters. During last week, the activity has been a constant for the shore crew of Movistar, who had checked every piece of the Spanish boat, had replaced the hydraulics rams of the keel, broken during the last leg, and has repaired the parts damaged during the sailing over more than 6000 nautical miles from Cape Town.
“Again, we are on the road -says Pedro Campos”, CEO of the team-. “We are going to start training next Wednesday, so we will have 3 days to get ready for the In Port Race. Our big goal for this In Port Race is the same as always: to add the biggest amount of points we can and try to get closer to the boats on the nose, on the overall classification”.
This morning we have reweighed the boat. The heavier weight of the stainless rams we have put inside, taken the place of the titanium ones, has forced us to take some weight of the bulb out, to meet the Volvo Open 70 Rule.
”During the measurement done this morning we have seen she was 5 kilograms over the maximum weight allowed by the Organization” –admits skipper Bouwe Bekking. “Such small number shows almost an 0,003 per cent of the total weight, so we can admit we have fit it really good. Anyway, this gap has forced us to take 5 kilos out before the berthing. At the moment we will refit it, we will be right on the measurement and we could sail tomorrow.
Movistar was berthing in Melbourne at 9:00 am GMT. Pepe Ribes, the bowman of the boat shows how the operation was done: “After we have stepping the mast, we have checked the hydraulic rams. Tomorrow in the morning we will test the system -than moves the keel- deeper, before the first training. We would like to go to the water around midday and we will spend 4 hours, more or less, there. We also would like to train in the race area where the In Port Race is going to be sailed.
“The fact to have some Aussies on board is going to be an added value”, says the masthead trimmer Xabi Fernández. “Spike –Peter Dorieanm and Nitro –Noel Drenan live and sail here and their big knowledge are a big deal for the race”.
Cooperation between the teams
”Some pieces of the titanium hydraulics we had used are just now at the Pirates of the Caribbean compound”, as Fred Barret –Movistar Technical Manager- says-. “They ask for it and of course we hade said OK. We are not really sure about how they can use it, but if the can give a better use than us… go ahead”.