Volvo Ocean Race – Team Brunel is on its way to Scheveningen
by Team Brunel - Robbert-Jan Metselaar on 17 Jun 2015
Team Brunel is on its way to Scheveningen - Volvo Ocean Race 2015 Team Brunel Photos
Today the ninth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race to Gothenburg will start, but before the seven teams tie up in the Swedish port, they will have a brief pit-stop in Scheveningen. The boats are expected in the Dutch port on 19 June.
“I’ve been looking forward to the moment when we sail into the harbour at Scheveningen in front of thousands of Dutch sailing fans since the start of the race,” says Gerd-Jan Poortman. “It’s great to see that Team Brunel has given such an enormous boost to sailing in the Netherlands.”
In Gerd-Jan Poortman’s opinion, the 600 miles from Lorient to Scheveningen will not be an easy route to sail. “We have to pass through a lot of shipping lanes. These are wide and carry hundreds of ships a day. We’ll also have to cope with strong sea currents. There’s even the risk of the wind dropping entirely and the currents pushing us into the shipping lanes. In that event, we’ll have to drop anchor and wait for the wind to return. We’re going to do everything we can to arrive in Scheveningen first – not just for the Dutch fans but, most of all, to be in a good position to resume the race to Gothenburg on Saturday. After all, the race isn’t over yet. To be sure of getting second place, we have to keep Dongfeng Race Team, MAPFRE and Alvimedica behind us. ”
“The pit-stop in Scheveningen is very important for the whole team,” says Bouwe Bekking. “I’m sure that The Hague Volvo Ocean Race Festival will be a big spectacle. I even think that the other teams will be surprised by the size of the event. Anyway, I’m really looking forward to it. It would be great to arrive first in Scheveningen but finally the points will be awarded in Gothenburg. That means that, in spite of the many events in Scheveningen, we will have to stay focussed on the restart and the last 300 miles to Gothenburg. My advantage over the other skippers is that I’m very familiar with the North Sea between Scheveningen and Gothenburg.”
“Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing has won the race so there’s no point in trying to race against Ian Walker and his men. But we’re going to keep a close eye on Dongfeng Race Team, MAPFRE and Alvimedica. Our aim is now to come second in the Volvo Ocean Race overall ranking.”
The fleet is expected in Scheveningen on 19 June. A day later, the teams will leave for Gothenburg where the boats will finish the leg on about 22 June. The fleet of seven VO65 boats will then have covered more than 38,000 nautical miles.
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