The Mediterranean looks set to remain true to
tradition, and the first leg of the Barcelona World Race should be light
and very tactical. Forecasts indicate that conditions for the start on Wednesday 31
December at midday will be light N-NE winds which will persist during
the first section of the course to the island of Ibiza. Heading to the Strait of Gibraltar conditions look set to be downwind
for boats arriving at the Strait within 60 hours. Those arriving later
may find very little wind in the Alboran Sea, or even westerly
headwinds.
At the final Press Conference before the race get's underway all
attention was focused on the 16 sailors gathered on stage. As ever body
language and attitude spoke louder and more comprehensively than the
words they uttered. Some, like veteran Jean Le Cam, Cheminees Poujoulat,
appearing like it was just another work day at the office, relaxed and
enjoying the build-up to his second Barcelona World Race. When asked
about his final preparations, Le Cam joked that he was going to be
mostly eating for the next two days. Guillermo Altadill, Neutrogena, approaching his seventh global circumnavigation, also played to the gallery, "I
live in a small village 90 kilometers from Barcelona. And I realised
that I had left the lights on.. So my plan for the next two days, will
be to go back tomorrow and put them out!" he joked.
But for all his humour, fiery Catalan Altadill knows he has been given a gilt edged chance of winning the race which starts and finishes on the waters where he first learned to sail, an opportunity of a victory which would rank him as the first Spaniard to win a major IMOCA race, the same as it would be for Pepe Ribes who grew up in Benissa beside Calpe, 75 kilometres down the race track.
Others, such as Alex Thomson and Pepe Ribes on Hugo Boss, also both starting on their second Barcelona World Race, were beginning to adopt a pre-race focus. On paper Thomson and Ribes are favourites, matching the vastly experienced duo with the VPLP-Verdier design which won the last Barcelona World Race. Theirs is theoretically the quickest, best proven IMOCA 60. And Thomson and Ribes are not scared to say they are here to win.
In terms of experience Le Cam and Bernard Stamm represent the biggest threat to the British-Spanish duo. For long periods of the Vendée Globe Stamm and Thomson were each other's fiercest rivals, Stamm armed with a wickedly fast, new and powerful Juan Kouyoumdjian design, the Brit with an older, theoretically slower Farr design. But Thomson prevailed to finish third. He refutes the notion that theirs is a rivalry which will be rekindled from Wednesday afternoon:
"Bernard and I have the same thing going on every race. It is not about re-establishing a rivalry, that is always there, it never goes away. But it is great to race against the two of them, to race against Jean Le Cam as well." Thomson said, visibly pumped up and excited as he makes the transition from land to sea, from the hustle and bustle of final preparations, seeing his young family, and media commitments from all around the world. Pre-Christmas the British skipper, whose confidence is at a high after his third in the last Vendée Globe, flew to the USA for a whirlwind 24 hours with high profile American media.
"Finishing is important but are really here to see if we can take the number one spot. I don't think that will influence us to take big risks, we will be focusing on getting into the Atlantic in reasonable shape and then hopefully let the boat do its work.
"It is great to be here, the family are all here, it is busy but it is nice to have this transition period from this into the race. I have not raced really since the Fastnet and before that the Vendée Globe and so perhaps there is a bit of trepidation."
Bernard Stamm, who has two round the world race wins already, is taking on the Barcelona World Race for the first time:
"Alex is one our rivals for sure, but there are others it is not just about him and us. On paper he has the fastest boat. That is OK for us. We have to remember this is a round the world race, we have a good boat also and we will be able to push normally. Afterwards we will see what happens. I think that Guillermo [Altadill, Neutrogena] is dangerous also and the others can be there also. We don't forget them. On paper Alex is fastest but we don't have to just focus on him. I think that one of the particularities of this race is getting out of the Mediterranean and it is not easy. It is very complicated. That can create some big gaps and that can be not the boat that we expect that gets away."
Others were anxious to return to their boats and the preparations still to be done. Conrad Colman, the youngest skipper on the race and about to embark on his first non-stop round the world race on Spirit of Hungary, said: "It's only now that I'm starting to realize what this is, to race around the world. I've only ever done one but never non-stop. I think the most intimidating thing was when I saw the pile of food that we were going to take with us."
Colman, who only joined his Hungarian co-skipper Nandor Fa one month ago, admitted:
"We are not ready. We have a computer issue. I am hoping that this is not our lack of preparation time rearing its head now. It makes me bit afraid that here we are having thrown it all together at the last minute and hoping that it will gel. The navigation computer is not talking to anything else. We have help but trying to get anything done between Christmas and New Year does not make it too easy. There is still a job list but we have the essentials in place, now it is about trying to make the boat safer, more comfortable and faster. Our sailing the other day was great but we still have four sails we have not seen yet."
Each of the teams also received a gift-wrapped parcel containing a special selection of freeze-dried food created by two of the leading restaurants in Barcelona. The gifts were presented by Pere Castells of the University of Barcelona, Pere Planagumà of the Les Cols restaurant, and Salvador Brugués of Celler de Can Roca.
The conference closed with the reigning title holder Jean-Pierre Dick taking to the stage. Holding the trophy he has won twice, double Barcelona World Race winner Jean-Pierre Dick turned and momentarily feigned to present the top award to one of the eight expectant duos assembled behind him. He paused and immediately thought better of such a public declaration of who will take up the mantle, winners of the third edition of the two handed round the world race.
One thing is certain and Jean-Pierre's action cemented the reality that when late March comes around next year it will be a different team who will be crowned victors. (www.sailing.org)
But for all his humour, fiery Catalan Altadill knows he has been given a gilt edged chance of winning the race which starts and finishes on the waters where he first learned to sail, an opportunity of a victory which would rank him as the first Spaniard to win a major IMOCA race, the same as it would be for Pepe Ribes who grew up in Benissa beside Calpe, 75 kilometres down the race track.
Others, such as Alex Thomson and Pepe Ribes on Hugo Boss, also both starting on their second Barcelona World Race, were beginning to adopt a pre-race focus. On paper Thomson and Ribes are favourites, matching the vastly experienced duo with the VPLP-Verdier design which won the last Barcelona World Race. Theirs is theoretically the quickest, best proven IMOCA 60. And Thomson and Ribes are not scared to say they are here to win.
In terms of experience Le Cam and Bernard Stamm represent the biggest threat to the British-Spanish duo. For long periods of the Vendée Globe Stamm and Thomson were each other's fiercest rivals, Stamm armed with a wickedly fast, new and powerful Juan Kouyoumdjian design, the Brit with an older, theoretically slower Farr design. But Thomson prevailed to finish third. He refutes the notion that theirs is a rivalry which will be rekindled from Wednesday afternoon:
"Bernard and I have the same thing going on every race. It is not about re-establishing a rivalry, that is always there, it never goes away. But it is great to race against the two of them, to race against Jean Le Cam as well." Thomson said, visibly pumped up and excited as he makes the transition from land to sea, from the hustle and bustle of final preparations, seeing his young family, and media commitments from all around the world. Pre-Christmas the British skipper, whose confidence is at a high after his third in the last Vendée Globe, flew to the USA for a whirlwind 24 hours with high profile American media.
"Finishing is important but are really here to see if we can take the number one spot. I don't think that will influence us to take big risks, we will be focusing on getting into the Atlantic in reasonable shape and then hopefully let the boat do its work.
"It is great to be here, the family are all here, it is busy but it is nice to have this transition period from this into the race. I have not raced really since the Fastnet and before that the Vendée Globe and so perhaps there is a bit of trepidation."
Bernard Stamm, who has two round the world race wins already, is taking on the Barcelona World Race for the first time:
"Alex is one our rivals for sure, but there are others it is not just about him and us. On paper he has the fastest boat. That is OK for us. We have to remember this is a round the world race, we have a good boat also and we will be able to push normally. Afterwards we will see what happens. I think that Guillermo [Altadill, Neutrogena] is dangerous also and the others can be there also. We don't forget them. On paper Alex is fastest but we don't have to just focus on him. I think that one of the particularities of this race is getting out of the Mediterranean and it is not easy. It is very complicated. That can create some big gaps and that can be not the boat that we expect that gets away."
Others were anxious to return to their boats and the preparations still to be done. Conrad Colman, the youngest skipper on the race and about to embark on his first non-stop round the world race on Spirit of Hungary, said: "It's only now that I'm starting to realize what this is, to race around the world. I've only ever done one but never non-stop. I think the most intimidating thing was when I saw the pile of food that we were going to take with us."
Colman, who only joined his Hungarian co-skipper Nandor Fa one month ago, admitted:
"We are not ready. We have a computer issue. I am hoping that this is not our lack of preparation time rearing its head now. It makes me bit afraid that here we are having thrown it all together at the last minute and hoping that it will gel. The navigation computer is not talking to anything else. We have help but trying to get anything done between Christmas and New Year does not make it too easy. There is still a job list but we have the essentials in place, now it is about trying to make the boat safer, more comfortable and faster. Our sailing the other day was great but we still have four sails we have not seen yet."
Each of the teams also received a gift-wrapped parcel containing a special selection of freeze-dried food created by two of the leading restaurants in Barcelona. The gifts were presented by Pere Castells of the University of Barcelona, Pere Planagumà of the Les Cols restaurant, and Salvador Brugués of Celler de Can Roca.
The conference closed with the reigning title holder Jean-Pierre Dick taking to the stage. Holding the trophy he has won twice, double Barcelona World Race winner Jean-Pierre Dick turned and momentarily feigned to present the top award to one of the eight expectant duos assembled behind him. He paused and immediately thought better of such a public declaration of who will take up the mantle, winners of the third edition of the two handed round the world race.
One thing is certain and Jean-Pierre's action cemented the reality that when late March comes around next year it will be a different team who will be crowned victors. (www.sailing.org)
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