Can Jez do it again?

madforsailing speaks to News Corps skipper Jez Fanstone, about life in the fast lane of the Volvo Ocean Race

Jez was over the moon to sail once again with his old mate Stuart Childerley, with whom he won the Soling Match Racing Worlds in 1995. "He was a driver on one of the watches. He did a lot of helming and really helped back up Matt and Barney, Gordon and myself. He's very good on the boat on boat stuff. I hoped there would be a bit more wind for him". Childerley is stay on board for the next leg. "I promised to try to get him wet," Jez explains.

During the last leg Assa navigator Mark Rudiger said that he felt News Corp had been able to sail deeper angles. Fanstone says this was true at times. "The boats are very, very similar now. Sail inventories are getting similar, or more finely tuned, but each boat has periods when it's a bullet. On this leg we had more times when ours was a bullet. There were certainly occasions when we made a huge jump boat on boat, but it was purely one gust. There was some nice lady luck that came along. At times we had an edge, but at other times we were just hanging on".

Fanstone says that News Corp goes well upwind in pressure and downwind well in all conditions. They have had to work hard to improve their reaching ability up to the level of illbruck and Assa. Meanwhile Dalton's Frers-designed Amer One he feels is good downwind in the light. "Everyone is getting closer," he says.

During the stopover in Baltimore the crew have once again been going through the boat with a fine toothcomb while sailmaker Alby Pratt has been looking after the power house. When it comes to sails Fanstone says they are in good shape and have yet to use up their full sail allocation. "We have got some slots left. Alby has managed it really well. We can still get some new sails for the last leg if we need to".