Volvo Ocean Race Leg 4 - Dongfeng announce crew changes

by Dongfeng Race Team on 7 Feb 2015 Volvo Ocean Race leg 4 crew changes have been announced by Dongfeng Race Team. 'Only half the leg 3 winning crew onboard for leg 4 – why did we change a winning combination?'

Well, for those that closely follow Dongfeng Race Team these are not the first crew changes, nor will they be the last. The rotation of the Chinese rookies is whilst a compromise, key to the mission of widening the experience of the Chinese sailors as much as possible during the race. The Volvo Ocean Race is not only long but intensely demanding, especially with only eight crew on board, so the plan from the outset was to ensure the demands of the race on the sailors did not break them – Swede Martin Stromberg returns for this leg, fresh and raring to go after his time off. Chinese sailors Chen Jin Hao (Horace) and Yang Jiru (Wolf) return to take over from Liu Xue (Black) and Cheng Ying Kit.

Perhaps the news that Dongfeng’s star navigator Pascal Bidégorry will not be onboard for this next leg has also come as a shock for some, as Erwan Israel steps in. To the outside world it may seem like a huge risk to change what is considered a ‘winning combination’ but for Charles Caudrelier it’s only common sense to add fresh blood at this stage of the 39,000nm race. 'There is still a very long way to go and next we’re going to take on the hardest part, the high ‘mountain’ stages. The next three legs will without doubt cause some damage in the fleet, but we are in good shape to take them on. It will be very difficult to always be at the front but if we get a bad result, we’ll be able to remember what we’ve done since the start and keep it together, hopefully nothing can destroy our spirit.'

If you ask Pascal about the fact he’s not sailing the next leg, there’s a 99% chance he’ll just look at you, wink and tell you he only wants to give the team a chance to miss him. The truth is, it was always the plan. At the beginning of the race it was decided that after what would be three (very) long legs, Pascal would take a break to prepare for the tough Southern Ocean leg 5. 'Everyday since we docked in Sanya I walk past the boat and realise I’m not going to be onboard for the next leg. It’s all I think about,' Pascal Bidégorry.

What is slightly entertaining is – even though it was always the plan, it’s clear that watching the navigator preparing for leg 4 he is mildly obsessed with the idea that he’s not going to be onboard. When approached whilst doing the geographic charts, muttering under his breath about small islands, his reaction was telling: 'So?!' he says in a heavy French accent with a fierce look on his face, 'That doesn’t mean anything. I am doing everything as if I was sailing, in fact I’m doing it better. Yes, I’m doing it better. Normally I wouldn’t be looking at the weather so early. I’m doing the routing – I’m doing everything.' It’s not that he doesn’t trust his replacement Erwan Israel, it’s just Pascal is very particular, it’s what makes him so good. It’s also what makes him and Charles such a good team, 'Sometimes we agree, almost all of the time we disagree but I always listen to him because he is often right,' said Skipper Charles Caudrelier. 'Almost everything I know today, I have gained from Pascal.'

Pascal is spending the week with Erwan Israel ahead of the team’s departure for the 5,264nm leg from Sanya to Auckland on Sunday, eighth February. Erwan raced the last Volvo Ocean Race with Charles onboard the winning team Groupama. Pascal will be back on board for leg 5 and will be in Auckland to see Dongfeng arrive: 'I wanted to be on the pontoon to shout the loudest if they won and pat them on the back if they didn’t.' For Dongfeng Race Team to be at the top of the overall Volvo Ocean Race leaderboard after three legs is a scenario that few anticipated at the start of this race, but the team know there is a long way to go in this race.

Final crew list:

Charles Caudrelier (FRA)
Erwan Israel (FRA)
Martin Strömberg (SWE)
Eric Peron (FRA)
Kevin Escoffier (FRA)
Thomas Rouxel (FRA)
Yang Jiru (CHN)
Chen Jin Hao (CHN)

Onboard Reporter: Sam Greenfield (USA)