News from Team Tyco and Team NewsCorp

by Event media on 5 Sep 2001 NEWS FROM Team Tyco

Following a weeks sailing on the magnificent J class yacht, Endeavour,
during the America's Cup Jubilee, the Team Tyco crew have returned to
final two boat testing for sail selection and a round of crew training.

The activities list is as diverse as physically preparing bodies
(fitness) to physically fixing bodies (medicine) to camera and media
training. The Farr designed race boat has also been tweaked and polished
to ensure she is not only fast, but will pass the scrutineers in final
measurement.

Missing from a few days work, but with a just reason, is British
crewmember Gerry Mitchell, who walked the aisle on Saturday 1st
September, tying one more knot before the start of the Volvo Ocean Race.


NEWS FROM Team News Corporation
Following their noted win in the Rolex Fastnet Race, Team News Corp
returned to Camper & Nicholson's boat yard in Gosport, near Portsmouth,
to undertake a final refit before the Volvo Ocean Race starts. With all
final adjustments to the yacht now completed, Jez Fanstone and his crew
are currently undertaking two weeks sail testing before making a final
decision on which 18 sails to take on the first leg from Southampton to
Cape Town. Off the water, fitness training continues for the team four
days a week.
The crew have also brushed up on essential sea survival safety drills on
the two-day Safety Course at Warsash Maritime Centre (organised by the
Volvo Ocean Race office), which covered the principles of survival, life
raft drills and how to look after injured persons.
VOLVO OCEAN RACE MEDICAL SEMINARS
Each team will take on an intensive Medics Refresher Seminar in early
September where Volvo Ocean Race appointed doctors take medics through a
continually updated database of injuries commonly sustained in offshore
yacht racing.
The seminar covers prevention and treatment of minor injuries such as
tennis elbow from grinding, through to serious breaks and wounds. Using
a system via the internet through laptop computers in the media station,
medics can be video linked to an onshore doctor who will 'see' the wound
and talk the medic through a serious procedure.
ROLEX FASTNET RACE
Britain's Jez Fanstone baptized the Team News Corp syndicate with their
first victory after winning the Volvo Ocean 60 class in the Rolex
Fastnet Race. They stole victory from John Kostecki and his illbruck
crew after a game of cat and mouse in the English Channel and Lyme Bay
throughout the final morning at sea.
Rolex Fastnet VO60 class:
1, News Corp - 002d 17h 28m 34s
2, illbruck - 002d 17h 49m 34s
3, Team SEB - 002d 20h 58m 10s
4, ASSA ABLOY Racing Team - 002d 21h 36m 08s

QUOTE (S) OF THE MONTH:
'We had a very good race but they (News Corp) sailed well too - they
sailed a bit better. We were pleased with our boat. Let's put it this
way, we don't want to trade boats with anybody. I think the Volvo is
going to be a close race,'
illbruck skipper John Kostecki.
Rolex Fastnet Race finish.

WATERFRONT WEEK - Southampton, England.
The start of the Volvo Ocean Race and the Southampton International Boat
Show, Europe's biggest on-water exhibition, run concurrently from Friday
15th September to Sunday 23rd September.

At Ocean Village, Volvo Ocean Race visitors can get hands-on experience
of life aboard a Volvo Ocean 60 at special interactive displays and
exhibitions.

On Saturday, September 15, the City of Southampton Orchestra presents a
classical treat - the Proms on the Waterfront. For pop fans, Power in
the Port, co-promoted by Power FM, will feature the latest up-and-coming
chart stars on Saturday, September 22. Soul legend, Edwin Starr, also
makes an appearance later that evening on a night that culminates in a
spectacular eve-of-race firework display.