Volvo Ocean Race - Team Alvimedica preparing for Leg 2

by Team Alvimedica on 13 Nov 2014 Six days after finishing Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race, Team Alvimedica skipper Charlie Enright is still sporting the beard that he arrived with in Cape Town. Twenty-six days at sea with no razor will make any one grizzled. But despite a few days of rest and relaxation that included a mini-safari with wife Meris and two American friends, the 30-year-old skipper still has an indelible impression from Leg 1.

Enright and the youngest crew in the Volvo Ocean Race returned to work yesterday after enjoying a few days of R+R. The 26-day opening leg across 6,500 nautical miles was the longest ocean passage that all of the crew - with the exception of navigator Will Oxley – had ever sailed in their lives. The 'young guns' – aged 26-32 – will take the lessons learned from the first and longest stage of the race and apply on Leg 2 to Abu Dhabi that starts a week from today.

The team’s Volvo Ocean 65 has already been through a rigorous maintenance program and safety check and is back in the water. The team plans a short sail on Thursday before gearing up for a weekend of inshore racing with Pro-Am events and the Cape Town In-Port Race on Saturday.

While slightly shorter in terms of miles, Leg 2 also promises to be a long and tactical leg from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi. Enright and the six other Volvo Ocean Race skippers dove into a review of Leg 2 routing today in a race briefing. The anticipated light air will likely make this next 6,125 nautical-mile stage extremely tactical and more taxing mentally than physically.

The moderate conditions of Leg One allowed the first-timers to settle into their routines. 'It didn’t feel like it was that hard of a leg,' said 30-year-old New Zealander Dave Swete of Leg One. 'At times we were in the lead, showing speed against the other teams. And if we can keep that going, we’ll upset a few people in this race.'

Enright paid homage to the race’s history when he recalled a familiar quote in describing it all as Groundhog Day. 'You lose track of time,' said Enright. 'Twelve days at sea feels the same as 64 days, feels the same as 30 days. It’s all the same. After a while you get into the rhythm of it all, you get into a routine. I live my life by the weather downloads and the position skeds, which come in at the same time every day.'

Enright said his lasting lesson from Leg One was to pump the brakes a little more often.
'Don’t be in a rush. Take your time, sail what you have,' he said. 'Make sure 100 percent before committing to maneuvers. The difference might be many miles in the end.

'We seemed to go well in the light winds and with the Code sails. With the J1 and staysail we seemed to do well in big waves and apparent wind sailing,' Enright continued.' we are still working on our VMG downwind in all conditions, as well as refining some of our crossovers and other stack positions.

'We have good drivers and trimmers. Our learning curve is still steep,' said Enright. 'We hope we can build on lessons learned in the last leg to improve our performance to Abu Dhabi.

Team Alvimedica resumes racing in the Volvo Ocean Race on Saturday, Nov. 15, with the Cape Town In- Port Race. Leg 2 of the 2014-’15 Volvo Ocean Race, Cape Town to Abu Dhabi, UAE, begins Nov. Team Alvimedica website