movistar back in the water

After new bulb and mast are fitted in Sansenxo

The Volvo Open 70 movistar, the Spanish participant in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006, is back in the water at its Real Club Nautico de Sanxenxo base. Two months prior the start of the Volvo Ocean Race, the movistar team are ready to continue their development work.

“We have a new keel bulb and a new mast," says Team Manager, Pedro Campos. "These are major changes for a boat, especially one like this, which is so sensitive to the slightest change. The idea is to improve the weight distribution and improve performance, which we will be able to check out now, when we return to our training in the water”.

Fred Barrett, movistar's Technical Shore Manager and his team have spent the last three weeks working long hours to get all the jobs done, as in addition to the new mast and bulb the boat has undergone a thorough refit.

“These changes are a significant step forward in the boat’s development," says skipper Bouwe Bekking, "but they also mean that we have to set up the boat once again. It is not just a question of putting in a new mast and bulb and carry on sailing. We now have to learn how to get the best out of these changes, but the good thing is that we know from the outset that they will have a very positive impact on the boat’s performance”.

movistar's new Southern Spars mast arrived at the team’s base last week shipped to Bilbao from New Zealand in a cargo ship and then by special transport to the team's base in Sanxenxo.

Now movistar is back in the water, the crew will resume their daily training programme, as bowman Pepe Ribes points out. “During these weeks that the boat has been on land, we have focused on physical training, and Sam Brovender, the team's fitness coach, has used this time to push us hard, with two long training sessions each day. Now we are back to the sailing programme, adding as many hours in the water with the boat as possible, but without neglecting the fitness aspect. We still do a daily workout starting at 0730am. To tell you the truth, there’s no let up, but we have seen that Sam’s tough programme is necessary to sail a boat as demanding as the VO 70”.