Volvo Ocean Race- Telefonica returns to base after 2000nm Qualifier

by Sail-World on 31 Aug 2011 The Spanish Volvo Ocean race entry, Telefonica, is back at the pontoon of her training base at Sanxenxo, in Pontevedra, Spain. At 17:30 local time the Spanish boat skippered by Iker Martínez, with the entire crew on board, completed the almost one thousand mile climb up the Atlantic from the team's offshore base at Marina Rubicón, in Lanzarote, to the one in Sanxenxo, Northern Spain. This is where the Spanish crew will be finishing off training ahead of the Volvo Ocean Race, starting on the 29th of October in Alicante, Spain.

Despite rain and fog, there was a strong turnout of fans and curious onlookers at the Juan Carlos I Marina to greet the boat that sails under the local Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo flag.

Skipper Iker Martínez was clear: 'We are back home! We have really been looking forward to this'. However, the Spanish team has some hard work ahead over the coming three weeks in Sanxenxo: 'We still need to make some improvements and that's what we are looking to do here and what we came here for. We are in the final phase leading up to the start and final decisions have to be made and everything must be in place and prepared. We chose to come here to get down to those final details. These are very important weeks for us here,' he said.

With 'Telefónica' tied up at the moorings at the Juan Carlos I port, the doors of the Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo (the city's royal yacht club) swung open for a chat with the eleven 'Telefónica' crew members, as well as members of the shore crew such as Horacio Carabelli -the Technical Director- and Iñigo Losada -the team coach-, who each responded to questions concerning their particular departments.

The meeting room hosting the informal chat with the team was full. In a relaxed atmosphere they discussed the preparation behind a team of these characteristics when it comes to facing sailing's most extreme challenge: the Volvo Ocean Race.

Now in Sanxenxo, 'Telefónica' will be lifted up out of the water for the final touches to be added and then she'll be back where she belongs: on the water, ready to sail.