Puma prepares for leg two

Two crew changes as sailing team rotate

In Cape Town Puma Ocean Racing team are busy at work in preparation for leg two of the Volvo Ocean Race. Having finished in second place late on Sunday night, the shore team are reading il mostro for the next 4,450 nautical mile leg to Kochi, India, starting on Saturday 15th November.

While the sailing team are getting some well-deserved rest, the shore team, which has been bolstered in numbers due to the short South African stopover, are hard at work servicing and repairing the boat. With only 12 days in port in which to do this, it’s a tight schedule.

As Neil Cox, Puma's Boat Captain comments: “Our shore team, as usual, has stepped up into another gear. We had the boat out of the water, stripped down, and the rig on the ground within 12 hours of the boat arriving to port. From here the boys know that until the boat is tied back to the dock and ready to go for its shakedown sail, life is ‘all about the boat’. Even without the standard breakages, leaks and new developments, the basic service list off the top of your mind would comprise of over 150 jobs divided between the boat building, rigging, sail making and electrical departments.”

As to the sailing team, some changes will be put into effect for this leg. As planned, Jerry Kirby and Jonathan McKee will stand down to rotate the crew. Shannon Falcone (ANT) and Robbie Naismith (NZL), a trimmer/pitman and trimmer respectively, will join the Puma team for leg two.