Boating New Zealand – April 2018

| subscribe | magstore.nz/boatingnewzealand Boating New Zealand 29

was lucky enough – during the feet’s

two-week stop-over – to sail on one of

the Volvo 65 boats and speak to crew

members from various teams. Let me

say at the outset I think they’re insane,

every last one of them – but they did

ofer intriguing insights into the VOR experience.

Here are a few of my impressions:

Multi-national and polyglot – with the 68 crew

members on the seven vessels representing nationalities

from all parts of the globe, the VOR is truly an

‘international’ event. I was a guest aboard China’s

Dongfeng Racing Team in one of the Pro-Am races on

Waitemata harbour. Tanks largely to my heroic grinding

on the jib-trimming winch, we came second. I have a

medal to prove it! I was also knackered...

But the real sailors included two Chinese, two

Frenchmen, two Dutchmen and a Kiwi. Tough many spoke

multiple languages, commands were barked in English. An

inspiring lesson in easy co-existence.

Simple & complex – a Volvo 65 is an enigma – ridiculously

basic and at the same time impossibly complex. Te

boats are efectively lightweight, carbon-fbre shells with

minimalist interiors. Pipe berths and not much else. By

contrast, sail/boat controls and deck fttings are ultra-

sophisticated – and labyrinthine.

I

feature

Volvo

Ocean Race

WORDS BY LAWRENCE SCHÄFFLER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY VOLVO OCEAN RACE

Nine Kiwis are among six teams in this

year’s VOR – Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag

is the only boat without one. There are

some familiar names, including the

America’s Cup-winning duo of Peter

Burling and Blair Tuke – who have gone

from crewmates to rivals.

Peter Burling – Team Brunel

Previous VORs: Debut

Blair Tuke – Mapfre

Previous VORs: Debut

Louis Sinclair – Mapfre

Previous VORs: 1

Brad Farrand – Team AkzoNobel

Previous VORs: Debut

Justin Ferris – Team AzkoNobel

Previous VORs: 3

Stu Bannatyne – Dongfeng Race Team

Previous VORs: 7

Daryl Wislang – Dongfeng Race Team

Previous VORs: 4

Tony Mutter – Vestas 11th Hour Racing

Previous VORs: 5

Bianca Cook – Turn the Tide on Plastic

Previous VORs: Debut

WHO ARE THE KIWIS?