Volvo Ocean Race - Chinese sailors persevere onboard Dongfeng

by Dongfeng Race Team on 12 Feb 2015 Volvo Ocean Race fleet are physically separated into two groups. Team SCA and Team Brunel are heading north towards Taiwan whereas the rest of the fleet are sailing east as they round the top of the Philippines. Described by Caudrelier as what could essentially be the single most important decision of the leg.

But we’re going to let Volvo Ocean Race tell you that story.

Instead, we’re going to take you back to exactly this time last year to when our Chinese sailors were about to spend their first night offshore.

Back to one year ago when our Chinese sailors were called upon to make their ultimate decision.

'Who even enjoys this type of sailing?!' said a very disheveled looking Eric Peron as he’s catapulted into the air as Dongfeng crashes down on yet another wave. 'The boat’s not even going fast! This is no fun.' As the sailors enter the Pacific Ocean they are faced with seriously uncomfortable conditions onboard.

Unlike all the other boats in the race Dongfeng has visited these waters once before, back in February 2014. As part of the first ever offshore training for the Chinese sailors, Charles Caudrelier and Team Director Bruno Dubois decided to replicate the first part of leg 4. They believed it would be the ultimate preparation for the race and they weren’t wrong.

It took a week to prepare everything; the food, the boat and the crisis plan in case something went wrong. It was one year ago the shore team watched the boat dock out of Serenity Marina in Sanya as they wondered what the next few weeks would bring for our Chinese sailors who were about to get their first real taste of the Volvo Ocean Race. 'It’s one thing to dream about it but it is another to physically do it. We discovered (as did they) it was very easy to call something your dream until (in the words of Wolf) it becomes your nightmare.' Bruno Dubois.

A few days into the training Charles became increasingly worried, in fact he even explained in a phone call to Bruno that he had considered turning around early. In exactly the same conditions the fleet sails in today, our Chinese sailors couldn’t function as they suffered from severe seasickness and refusing to eat they became weak. 'If you had told me at that time I would be leading the fleet into the Pacific Ocean I just wouldn’t have believed you,' said Charles today.

Two sailors left after the training in the Pacific and although one is back with us today (Liu Xue, Black) it was a wake up call for them as they were faced with their ultimate decision. Would they continue the training in the hope to become China’s best offshore sailors or would they return to their normal lives?

Yesterday Chinese sailor Yang Jiru (Wolf) was hit by a huge wave while grinding, he lost his balance and hit the deck face down. A few moments later he stands up smiling, rubs his face and continues to grind. Talk about resilience.

'One year ago in the same conditions, all our Chinese sailors were very seasick. One year on, they are unaffected,' wrote Charles in his blog a few days ago.

Let us just say, as we watch the footage of our Chinese sailors onboard today we’re glad our sailors persevered at a point where it was all too easy to leave.

Perhaps that’s just the Chinese way?