New Victory recruit

Having been rescued recently from movistar, Pepe Ribes signs up with the Swedes

He is the most experienced sailor in the Valencia region. Pepe Ribes, who turns 35 on Monday, today signed up with Victory Challenge for the 32nd America’s Cup.

Most recently, Pepe Ribes sailed on movistar in the Volvo Ocean Race, and was one of the crewmen that had to be rescued when the boat sank in the Atlantic. He was a member of the Spanish America’s Cup challenge, Bravo España, in Auckland 1999/2000.

“He has an undeniably broad experience, which we need now that we are expanding the sailing team,” says Magnus Holmberg, helmsman and skipper.
 
Pepe Ribes is another recruit ahead of the two-boat training that begins after the Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 12 finishes on 3 July. He has been recruited as bowman, which is the same position he had with Bravo España in the Spanish America’s Cup challenge in Auckland.
 
“I have also sailed a lot with Santiago Lange, and he is the one that has enticed me to Victory Challenge,” says Pepe Ribes.
 
Santiago Lange, Olympic medallist in Athens for Argentina, is on the traveller in Victory Challenge’s sailing team and is part of the afterguard.
 
“He is not only an experienced sailor, he also knows a lot about rigging and can help Oscar Angervall with that,” says Magnus Holmberg.
 
Oscar Angervall, one of the sailors who have been with Victory Challenge the longest, is responsible for the rigging on land.
 
Pepe Ribes is the second Spanish sailor on Victory Challenge’s team. It also includes the navigator, Alicia Ageno, who is Spain’s first female America’s Cup sailor.
 
Victory Challenge’s continuing recruitment of sailors is necessary as the two-boat sailing begins in the middle of July.
 
Pepe Ribes is from Alicante, in the Valencia region, and has been sailing since he was seven years old. He has been a professional sailor since 1992. He has sailed in the demanding Spanish IMS class, just like Alicia Ageno.