Polish entry for Barcelona World Race

Krzysztof Owczarek and Frenchman Armand Coursodon join forces aboard ex-PRB/Roxy

A new nationality is getting on board for the Barcelona World Race: Poland's Fruit with Krzysztof 'Kris' Owczarek and Frenchman Armand Coursodon, to sail under the Polish flag, has announced a new entry in the double-handed round the world challenge.

“It hasn't been easy to get the support we needed for this campaign,” said Owczarek, “but the regatta is very attractive to sponsors, especially with the Barcelona name. As a Polish sailor,” he continued, “it's fantastic to be part of such an important competition. This is the country's first IMOCA Open 60, a big project, with a big story behind it”.

Indeed, Fruit isn't just any IMOCA. This is the yacht that Michel Desjoyeaux and Vincent Riou took to victory in the Vendée Globe in 2000 and 2004 respectively, and which Samantha Davies sailed to fourth place in last Vendée Globe in 2008-09. Following that regatta, the yacht underwent a comprehensive refit and remains of the most reliable IMOCAs around. “There's no doubt it's a great choice”, acknowledges Owczarek. Along the same lines, co-skipper and colleague, France's Armand Coursodon adds: “We've got a lot of faith in the boat, which is very important, because if you want to win a regatta like this, the first thing you need to do is finish it”.

The Polish skipper is highly experienced in fully crewed race on large yachts (Maxi 80, Super Maxi, ORMA 60, VO60), having over 60,000 miles under his belt. This is his first double-handed experience: “I think that double-handed racing is very tough from a human perspective, because with such reduced space you need to maintain an open and relaxed mind and to always look ahead”. That's why Owczarek and Coursodon are confident they will make a good team, thanks to the experience and character of both. Coursodon is a seasoned yachtsman with multiple offshore adventures behind him, such as the Jules Verne Record in 2004 onboard Oliver de Kersauson's maxi-trimaran Geronimo, the Oryx Quest in 2005 and The Race, which set sail from Barcelona in 2000, although he was forced to abandon the regatta due to a back injury. “I'm delighted to be returning to Barcelona ten years later”, said the Frenchman, “to take part in this very interesting regatta with so many great skippers on every entry, because I love to race”. Coursodon is also putting together his own campaign for the 2012 Vendée Globe.

The Polish fruit multinational called Fruit is the boat's sponsor and owner of the yacht and has given the project the name Fruit Around the World. The next step for the team is to complete the qualification for the Barcelona World Race, from Brittany in France down to La Ciotat, near Marseille, where they will continue until mid-December. The team will then transfer to Barcelona to join the rest of the fleet and prepare for the start of the Barcelona World Race on 31 December 2010.