Volvo crew changes

Telefonica Blue's Simon Fisher stands down for this weekend's seventh leg to Galway

The crew lists have been announced for the Volvo Ocean Race's seventh leg from Boston to Galway, starting this weekend.

Team Telefónica are back to having a full crew with the return of Telefónica Black’s bowman Mike Pammenter. This follows the sailor’s evacuation from the boat just hours before leg six kicked off from Rio, when Pammenter injured his ankle, many fearing it to have broken. But after an intensive 32-day rehabilitation programme the South African crew has passed all tests carried out by the team’s physical trainer and physiotherapist, Íñigo Losada and Nieves de Bernardo, with flying colours and is ready to get back in the race.

During practice sessions on board Telefónica Black yesterday, skipper Fernando Echávarri was able to see that his bowman is back on top physical form and ready to join the team for one of the Volvo Ocean Race’s toughest legs.

In Rio de Janeiro saw the Telefonica team introduce a crew rotation strategy, they claim to have planned out from the start. Due to unforeseen injuries on past legs (Laurent Pages, Daryl Wislang and Pepe Ribes) it wasn’t possible to get the structure moving until Leg 6. With the entire team now back together, Olympic champion Íker Martínez was the first to enjoy a well-earned break. “I’ve tried to regain strength for this last part of the competition,” commented Martinez. “I feel good now, so I think it’s been a great idea and I’m really looking forward to being back on the boat for this oceanic leg. It’s been an active rest, because [normally] you don’t get to rest from everything. You are so involved with the team that you do all you can to help them with other things aside from the sailing, to help the team to push further ahead.”

Now it’s coastal race navigator data analysist and helmsman Simon Fisher’s turn to have a well-earned break: “It has been a long time since I have had the opportunity to take a decent break,” commented Fisher. “After seeing Iker's renewed energy and motivation here in Boston, there is no doubt in my mind that it makes a lot of sense for me to do the same. It will be good to take this opportunity to recuperate, as I am sure the final stages of this race are going to be very busy, very intense and critical to our final placing in the Volvo Ocean Race. I am looking forward to coming back in Galway feeling fresh, rested and ready to go again. I'll be following the next leg closely, with Íker back on board they will be fielding a strong team for the big downwind conditions we are expecting in the north Atlantic.”

With the race now around two thirds of its way through, there have been few other changes. Fine Scot and ex- Pirate Ian Budgen is back on board Green Dragon, replacing James Carroll, while Arve Roaas replaced race veteran Magnus Woxen on Ericsson 3.


Crew list - Boston-Galway

Delta Lloyd
1. Roberto Bermúdez De Castro/ESP – skipper
2. Wouter Verbraak/NED – navigator
3. Sander Pluijm/NED – media crew member
4. Stuart Wilson/NZL – watch captain
5. Nick Bice/AUS – watch captain
6. Andre Fonseca/BRA – helmsman
7. Ben Costello/NZL – helmsman
8. Ed Van Lierde/NED – trimmer
9. David Pella/ESP – trimmer
10. Gerd-Jan Poortman/NED – bowman
11. Morgan White/AUS - bowman
- No crew changes

Ericsson 4
1. Torben Grael/BRA - skipper
2. Jules Salter/GBR - navigator
3. Guy Salter/GBR - MCM
4. Brad Jackson/NZL – watch captain
5. Stu Bannatyne/NZL – watch captain
6. Dave Endean/NZL - pitman
7. Horacio Carabelli/BRA - trimmer
8. Tony Mutter/NZL - trimmer
9. Joao Signorini/BRA - trimmer
10. Ryan Godfrey/AUS - bowman
11. Phil Jameson/NZL – bowman
- No crew changes

Ericsson 3
1. Magnus Olsson/SWE – skipper
2. Aksel Magdahl/NOR - navigator
3. Gustav Morin/SWE MCM
4. Thomas Johansson/FIN – helmsman/trimmer
5. Richard Mason/NZL - watch captain
6. Eivind Melleby/NOR - helmsman
7. Arve Roaas/NOR – trimmer/helmsman
8. Martin Strömberg/SWE – trimmer
9. Jens Dolmer/DEN - pitman
10. Anders Dahlsjö/SWE - bowman
11. Martin Krite/SWE - bowman
On: Arve Roaas/NOR – trimmer/helmsman

Off: Magnus Woxen/SWE – trimmer

Green Dragon
1. Ian Walker/GBR - skipper
2. Ian Moore/IRL - navigator
3. Guo Chuan/CHN - MCM
4. Neal McDonald/GBR – watch captain
5. Damian Foxall/IRL – watch captain
6. Anthony Merrington/AUS – helmsman/trimmer
7. Phil Harmer/AUS – helmsman/trimmer
8. Andrew Mclean/NZL – pitman/trimmer
9. Ian Budgen/GBR – helmsman/trimmer
10. Justin Slattery/IRL – bowman
11. Freddy Shanks/GBR - bowman
On: Ian Budgen/GBR – helmsman/trimmer
Off: James Carroll/IRL – pitman/trimmer

Puma Ocean Racing
1. Ken Read/USA - skipper
2. Andrew Cape/AUS - navigator
3. Rick Deppe/GBR MCM
4. Sidney Gavignet/FRA – watch captain
5. Robert Greenhalgh/GBR – watch captain
6. Robert Salthouse/NZL – helmsman/trimmer
7. Justin Ferris/NZL – helmsman/trimmer
8. Erle Williams/NZL – helmsman/trimmer
9. Shannon Falcone/ANT – bowman/pitman
10. Casey Smith/AUS – bowman/helmsman
11. Michael Müller/GER – helmsman/bowman
No crew changes

Telefonica Blue
1. Bouwe Bekking/NED - skipper
2. Tom Addis/AUS – navigator
3. Gabriele Olivo/ITA – MCM
4. Iker Martinez/ESP - helmsman
5. Jonathan Swain/RSA – watch captain
6. Jordi Calafat ESP – helmsman
7. Xabier Fernandez/ESP - trimmer
8. Pablo Arrarte/ESP Spanish - trimmer
9. Laurent Pages/FRA – trimmer
10. Daryl Wislang/NZL - bowman
11. Pepe Ribes/ESP - bowman
On: Iker Martinez/ESP - helmsman
Off: Simon Fisher/GBR- strategist/helmsman

Telefonica Black1. Fernando Echavarri/ESP – skipper
2. Roger Nilson/SWE – navigator
3. Anton Paz/ESP – MCM
4. Antonio (Ñeti) Cuervas-Mons/ESP – bowman
5. Gonzalo Araujo/ESP – watch captain
6. Jaime Arbones/ESP – watch captain
7. Pablo Iglesias/ESP – helmsman
8. Javier de la Plaza/ESP – helmsman
9. David Vera/ESP - trimmer
10. Maciel Cicchetti/ARG – trimmer
11. Michael Pammenter/RSA - bowman
No crew changes