Whitbread veteran joins Tyco

Four time navigator joins Steve Hayles at the chart table

Team Tyco has decided to bring on board Kiwi Whitbread veteran Mike Quilter (aka 'Lowlife') to boost the navigation muscle on board for the next leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. Quilter has been part of Team Tyco's onshore weather team since the start of the race since his last round the world race with Grant Dalton on board Club Med in The Race.

Skipper Kevin Shoebridge commented, "the next leg is a tactically and navigationally intense leg because of all the coastal sailing, tides and, of course, the English Channel. We feel the next leg requires a change in organization of the boat, and we want to have one person in the nav station at all times. Steve Hayles will be making all the key decisions, assisted by Mike Quilter on the weather and strategy."

This decision is part of Team Tyco's aim to raise the performance level and to continue using every available advantage they can. While Team Tyco has always considered one navigator to be the best approach on the long legs, they plan to capitalise on having both a navigator and weather expert for this sprint leg.

Quilter has sailed in five Whitbread Round the World Races, together with Kevin Shoebridge on four of those campaigns on boats such as Steinlager II and New Zealand Endeavour, and is taking Damian Foxall's spot for Leg 8. Foxall has jumped ship to join Karine Fauconnier's Sergio Tacchini's for this weekend's Course des Phares but will rejoin the team in Sweden for the final leg from Gothenburg to Kiel on June 8.