Jules Salter- Ericsson nav for Volvo Ocean Race
by volvooceanrace.org on 31 Oct 2007
Ericsson Volvo 70 sail testing off Cape Finisterra near Vigo Spain 2006 Rick Tomlinson / Ericsson Racing Team
Ericsson Racing Team has signed Britain's Jules Salter as navigator to its internationally crewed entry in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09.
With Salter now signed, the leading positions onboard Ericsson's international crew are in place. The skipper, Torben Grael from Brazil, was appointed last week, and the two watch captains Stu Bannatyne and Brad Jackson, both from New Zealand, have been with the team since the start of the campaign.
'Ericsson has a great team. They are well organised, and we now have a year to bring the team together. I have not sailed with these guys before, but I'm really looking forward to it. Torben is one of the greatest sailors in the world, and his performance was impressive in the last Volvo Ocean Race. I would much rather sail with him than against him,' Salter commented.
Torben Grael is also happy to have Jules in his crew. 'Right now, Jules and I are getting to know each other. We share the same house here in Lanzarote where we have our training base. I know Jules did a good job in the last race, and I'm impressed by his track record,' he said.
Jules was the navigator of GBR Challenge in the America's Cup 2003 and also took a key role in their weather programme. He has excellent technical knowledge of yachting, including race meteorology, instrument systems and racing software. In the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 he navigated second-placed Pirates of the Caribbean, skippered by Paul Cayard.
'I have a practical sailor's approach to the meteorological and strategic problems posed by the race with the new course, and also to the day to day issues of keeping the yacht's electronic and communication systems running,' he said.
'I am attracted to the excitement of the Volvo Ocean Race. The America's Cup is more like going to the ordinary office every day. The Volvo Ocean Race is something totally different, when you are racing at 30 knots in total darkness. It's both scary and fascinating.'
Ericsson Racing Team will participate with two boats in the next Volvo Ocean Race - one with an international crew and the other with an all Nordic crew. Both boats are being constructed by Ireland's Killian Bushe near Ericsson's headquarters in Kista, Stockholm. Having two competitive crews in the next race will allow Ericsson Racing Team to train efficiently ahead of the start of the race in Alicante, Spain on 4 October 2008.
The Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 will be the 10th running of this ocean marathon. Starting from Alicante in Spain, on 4 October 2008, it will, for the first time, take in ports in Asia. Spanning some 39,000 nautical miles, stopping at around 11 ports and taking nine months to complete, the Volvo Ocean Race is the world's premier ocean yacht race for professional racing crews.
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