Barcelona World Race update- Estrella Damm concludes offshore training

by Barcelona World Race on 26 Nov 2010 The latest news roundup from the Barcelona World Race. *

Estrella Damm has concluded offshore training for the Barcelona World Race.

'Everything went perfectly'. We are very happy with the work we've done, also because it had been a while since Pepe and I sailed alone together'. Alex Pella's satisfaction was evident following the recent offshore training and preparation sessions with co-skipper on Estrella Damm Pepe Ribes.

Before taking the route back from Sanxenxo, Galicia to Barcelona to conclude the offshore training prior to the Barcelona World Race start, the Catalan skipper confirmed that they had been sailing with 'big waves, seas and winds, so it was great for us to go to Galicia'.

In preparation for the upcoming round the world regatta Pella and Ribes have now notched up over 32,000 miles together on the yacht in just over a year. 'The pair have transported the yacht, raced together in regatta and have trained extensively', said Jan Santana, the head of the Estrella Damm sailing team.

On the way to Galicia from Barcelona the crew faced sustained headwinds of 35-40 knots. At Sanxenxo they took advantage of various squalls to sail with many different winds and to try out their new sails and battery charging systems, as well as the entire electronic onboard systems. They have also been able to verify their speed predictions, also known as the 'poles' of the boat, which deal with the true performance of the yacht with new sails, keel etc. This means that they can choose the optimum course for the yacht according to the weather forecasts and other information.

Pepe Ribes was also particularly satisfied with the conditions at Sanxenxo. 'One day, for example, we had almost 7 metre waves opposite the Galician coast and almost 30 knots of breeze. You can really push the boat to the extreme and then, if you want, you are just a few miles from the protection of the Pontevedra estuary, with calm waters', he said.

Estrella Damm set off from Galicia to Barcelona on Sunday, to benefit from the forecasted fair winds. 'With the journey back we are hoping to have the chance to sail with some fair winds and some strong SW breeze at a racing pace whilst working a watch system', said Pella before heading out. 'We want to push hard and push the boat, but within reason. We also have to conserve our equipment. I am very happy that we'll be sailing another five days together', concluded the Spanish skipper.

Once back in Barcelona, an arrival forecasted for the end of the week, Estrella Damm will be lifted out of the water before rejoining the rest of the fleet at the Moll Barcelona World Race in the Barceloneta area of the Catalan city. Skippers Ribes and Pella will continue with their physical and technical training for the adventure that has been years in the pipeline for them: the double-handed, no assistance, non-stop round the world race; the Barcelona World Race.

In other news:

Virbac Paprec 3 and Foncia are being sailed to Barcelona onboard the cargo transporter Olivia, which set off from Fort de France (Martinique) on the 19th of November.

Skippered by Jean-Pierre Dick and Michel Desjoyeaux, the two yachts completed their Route du Rhum entries at Pointe à Pitre (Guadalupe island). From there they were sailed to Fort de France (Martinique) where they were loaded onto the cargo transporter on November 18th.

Olivia is expected to dock at Barcelona on Monday 29th November. Virbac Paprec 3 and Foncia will be unloaded from the ship and taken directly to the FNOB Offshore Sailing Base, where they will undergo a comprehensive inspection and checks ahead of the Barcelona World Race.

Jean Le Cam and Bruno García have launched Président, the team's Barcelona World Race entry.

Although this is the first time the Breton skipper will race in a boat whose conception he wasn't a part of, Le Cam says he is very satisfied with the results. 'I'm confident the boat has big potential in terms of speed', he said.

Over the last few weeks, the former Mike Golding yacht has been reviewed and improved by Grégoire Metz and Michel Oliver, who have focussed their efforts on eliminating the superfluous for the round the world regatta, before she is decorated with the new sponsor colours. After the necessary safety tests and measurements, Le Cam and García will test the sails and will take the yacht out to try out the improvements for size. Then, they will be looking for a decent weather window for the transport to Barcelona, where they must arrive before the 15th of December.

The pair of Président skippers followed Roland Jourdain's victory in the Route du Rhum closely. It ratified their confidence in a penultimate generation yacht successfully challenging the most recent IMOCA Open 60 designs. Le Cam also said he was very pleased with the brand new Président: 'I've encountered the same global philosophy with this yacht that I chose for my last boat, so I feel very happy with her'.

Speaking about his route to the Barcelona World Race, Le Cam said: 'there are many reasons for my being here. The first is that I love double-handed sailing, the second is the excellent training it provides for the next Vendée Globe, not to mention that fact that setting off from Barcelona is magical. Also it's no bad thing to get out of the French circuit from time to time to measure yourself up against other new skippers, to break the routine'.

García revealed that he had been approached by the FNOB, who had been thinking about a project with the Spanish branch of Lactalis. 'The idea was to form a Franco-Spanish team, and when they asked if I'd like to sail with Jean Le Cam, I jumped at the chance', he said.

The skippers have known each other since they met a few years ago on the Figaro circuit and have been in contact ever since.

* The Barcelona World Race is the first only double-handed (two-crew) regatta around the world. This is a non-stop regatta with some outside assistance permitted, although subject to rules and penalties.

The Barcelona World Race 2010/11 is the second edition of the regatta. The first was in 2007/08. The third edition will take place in 2014.

The start will be given on 31st of December 2010 at 13:00 (local time GMT+1) opposite Hotel W in the Port of Barcelona. The arrival of the leading entries is forecast for the end of March 2011.

The course is from Barcelona to Barcelona via three capes: Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn, Cook Strait, putting Antarctica to starboard.

The length of the course is approximately 25,000 nautical miles (46,300 km) along the Great Circle line, the shortest route traced on a map across the world. Routes and Gates

http://www.barcelonaworldrace.org/