movistar back in the water

First day of training for the Spanish Volvo 70 team

The Spanish Volvo Open 70 movistar started training in South African waters today. The boat was back in the water on Sunday, after being weighed in by the Volvo Ocean Race.

The Race Organisation checked that movistar remained within the parameters established by the rules - between 12.5 and 14 tonnes.

“Our boat is closer to the maximum weight," said movistar trimmer Xabi Fernandez. “Fortunately, we are still below the limit, despite all the reinforcements that we have added in the repairs in Portimao. Otherwise, we would have had to remove weight from the bulb, which, apart from the extra work, would have translated into a reduction in the speed of the boat. You could say that it was excellent news for everybody”.

movistar was put back in the water within the Victoria & Albert Waterfront at 17:00 local time, once the mast had been stepped and the boat weighed.

“The whole team celebrated the boat’s return to the water," said skipper Bouwe Bekking. "After everything we have been through in the last 35 days, it was fantastic to see it tied up to the wharf again”.

The Spanish VO70 left the Team Shosholoza base at 14:00 hours yesterday to face its first day of sailing since the boat docked in Portimao on 14 November. During the daily meeting, Bouwe Bekking informed the rest of the team of the programmed plan for the day: “Basically, we are going to test the hydraulics and see that everything is working properly. That will be about three and a half hours of sailing. Tomorrow will be longer and harder work and, conditions allowing, we will head out to the open sea in search of waves and a stronger wind”.

movistar experienced excellent sailing conditions for her first day back in the water, with winds of up to 24 knots and waves. “It was a great introduction to South African waters," continued Bekking once he'd returned to port afterwards. "We’ve only done a few hours of sailing, enough to check that everything is working properly. We’ve checked out the hydraulic system for the keel and as conditions were right, we tested some of the sails. We will set out early tomorrow and train all day”.