Volvo Ocean Race - A boat-breaking leg for Team Brunel

by Team Brunel - Robbert-Jan Metselaar on 11 Jun 2015 Volvo Ocean Race - After a short sprint, Team Brunel has arrived in Lorient in fifth place. As expected, the leg to the French port was very tough. During the 647-mile leg, the seven Volvo Ocean Race teams had to contend with three-metre waves and wind speeds in excess of 30 knots for three days. Team Brunel has extended the lead on Dongfeng Race Team with two points and strengthened their hold on second place in the general ranking.

The skipper of Team Brunel arrived in Lorient with mixed feelings. 'Breaking our J2 jib was a downer for the entire team. We were still very close to Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing when it happened. With those conditions and without our crucial J2 we lost 12 Nm to the entire fleet within the next couple of hours. We even ended up sailing in last position. Luckily we had less breeze the last couple of hours before the finish in Lorient, so we were able to hoist our J1 sail again. Eventually, we were able to overtake two direct competitors for the top three podium spots in Gothenburg. Because of this we extended our lead on Dongfeng Race Team and Team Alvimedica. On the other hand, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing have almost secured their Volvo Ocean Race victory as well. We will now focus on holding on to our second position in the overall ranking.'

This was the leg of the northerly winds. It meant that the entire Volvo Ocean Race fleet had to sail close-hauled on this leg. During the first two days of the leg, the name of the game was to sail as close to the coast as possible, where skipper Bouwe Bekking’s team could still benefit from a favourable inshore wind. However, this moderate wind was far from stable, which meant that the sailors had to change sail frequently. But at least the sea was calm here. However, after rounding Cabo Finisterre, the wind increased to 20 knots and the waves became bigger. Twelve hours later, when the fleet sailed into the Bay of Biscay – the wind increased even further. With a 30-knot wind bearing down on them, Team Brunel had to fight northwards through gigantic waves towards the coast of Brittany. In spite of these boat-breaking conditions, the Dutch sailing team emerged from the fight reasonably unscathed. However, the J2 foresail ripped and the media tower on which the two white communication domes stand did not survive repeated battering in troughs. Skipper Bouwe Bekking’s men are now totally shattered and longing for a good night’s sleep.

In the days to come, the sailors will undergo the compulsory medical test. The men of Team Brunel – who are sponsored by the International Brunel secondment agency – will then take time to recover from this eighth leg. In the meantime, the technical offshore crew of the Dutch Volvo Ocean Race team, who besides the title sponsor Brunel, also have three official sponsors in Moduleo, Robeco and Schouten Global, will make a start on minor repairs and maintenance work. The sailors will have a break for a number of days, after which they will prepare for the In-Port race and the next leg, which is planned for 16 June.ereiden op de In-Port race en de volgende etappe, die op 16 juni start.