Team Vestas Wind - an amazing effort for the Blue Team
by Rob Kothe & Jedda Murphy on 4 Jun 2015
Team Vestas Wind’s boat grounded on the Cargados Carajos Shoals, Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean - Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 Brian Carlin - Team Vestas Wind
Team Vestas Wind's skipper Chris Nicholson back in September 2014 said that Neil Cox the legendary Shore Manager for Team Vestas Wind was the ‘go to man’ who made the very late hull 7 entry in the 2014-2015 Volvo Ocean Race possible.
He had a plan for supporting the boat around the world, but that all changed when after issuing a Mayday, the first words from Vestas Wind skipper, fellow Australian Chris Nicholson on November 29th 2014 to his shore manager on a crackling long range radio were “We’re on a reef, we’re not getting off. We’re f****ed.”
As we all know Team Vestas Wind had thumped into the remote Cargados Carajos Shoals off Mauritius at 19 knots, breaking off daggerboards and rudders, slewing round 180 degrees and wedging her keel on the reef.
Almost everyone assumed that that was the end of the event for Team Vestas Wind.
However here they are in Lisbon with a rebuilt one design boat ready to contest, three In Port races and two short offshore sprints.
Without Cox, the blue boat would not be in the water in Lisbon. He says it was very much a collective effort. Just four days before the re-start for Team Vestas Wind, Sail-World spoke to 'Coxy'
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