Rafa Nadal visits MAPFRE

Tennis star gets a tour of the Spanish VO65

Tennis ace Rafael Nadal paid a New Year’s Day visit to the Spanish VO65 MAPFRE as they made final preparations for the Leg 3 to Sanya.

The ‘King of Clay’, who is training in the UAE ahead of the Australian Open later this month, was shown around MAPFRE by stand-in skipper Xabi Fernández, who gave the world number three a crash course in just what it takes to be an elite offshore sailor, showing him around the deck and interior of the boat.

The tour even included a nav-station weather and route briefing with Jean-Luc Nélias, MAPFRE’s navigator.

“For me, it’s a great opportunity and a fantastic experience to be here with all the crowd, and fantastic people around the boat,” explained Nadal, who also has a passion for sailing.

“I know a bit about boats – I love the sea,” he continued. “I’m from an island, Majorca, and my life is always very involved with the sea. So it’s just a pleasure to be here. I wish everybody the best of luck. I know the second race was much better than the first one, so I hope things continue in that way, improving every time.”