Volvo losing its way?

by Tim Jeffrey UK Sports Telegraph on 11 Jun 2002 If the exuberance and atmosphere of Sunday's climax to the Volvo Ocean Race here could be captured, bottled and uncorked in four years' time, the organisers would have a sure-fire winner on their hands. Or would they?

Privately many skippers, sailors and syndicate heads will
tell you of their disappointment in Volvo since they
acquired the 25-year-old Whitbread four years ago. Many
hoped that a world brand like Volvo would turn a fine race
into a great event.

Little has changed, however. This has been the most
acutely and keenly contested race ever, but has the show
been any better? Time and again Volvo have not engaged
the public in this event. Yes, the television, radio and
internet output was more prolific than ever, but on the
ground it has been a different story.

One thinks of the sullen race village in Southampton with
no amenities; the huge crowd in Auckland when the
women's crew arrived who drifted away because it took an
hour to put Lisa McDonald's crew up on the stage. Even in
Illbruck-obsessed Kiel, John Kostecki's crew had to turn
their backs on the crowd for the presentation. The race has
been too inward-looking for too long.

There will be a new chief executive for the next race. Who
he or she is we do not know yet, because no appointment
has been made. This means the new incumbent will not
have seen the edition just finished. Whoever it is, they will
need a well-tuned antenna.

They need to know that the dockside is mute. Unlike
previous races, there is no real buzz from the sailors about
the next race. Their competitive juices are flowing for
other events. The competitors are asking for management
of technical, rules and jury issues that they can respect.
And they want the buzz put back into the race.

Despite the biggest ever organisers' budget, said to be
close to $50 million (£35 million), this was the smallest
ever fleet. Look closely at the entries, and you will see that
the latest race is heavily dependent on the Scandinavian
market and companies using it for internal needs. A
broader base would be healthier.

Rather uncharitably, the present management have
criticised, none too obliquely, Illbruck, who they felt spoiled
the race by being better prepared, and Assa Abloy, for
consuming what was regarded as unjustifiable man hours
to build a lighter, sweeter boat than other teams.

Excellence should be celebrated, not derided. That is, if
they want this race to remain the elite round-the-world
competition. Unless it does, it will not attract sailors of the
calibre of Paul Cayard or Kostecki, and without its stars the
race is nothing.

Volvo researched this race when they bought it and have
done so since. They were going to map out their plan for
the 2005-06 edition in Auckland last January, but even that
is not likely to be revealed until next year now.


The full story is at

http://sport.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2002/06/10/soyot11.xml&sSheet=/sport/2002/06/10/ixothspt.html