Team Brunel brings in experienced and talented new powers in Volvo Ocean Race Leg 4
by Team Brunel 29 Dec 2017 12:36 PST
29 December 2017
Leg 3, Cape Town to Melbourne, arrivals © Ainhoa Sanchez / Volvo Ocean Race
Jens Dolmer (DEN), Sally Barkow (USA), Sam Newton (AUS) and Rome Kirby (USA) join Team Brunel in the Volvo Ocean Race for Leg 4 from Melbourne to Hong Kong.
The foursome will take the positions of Louis Balcaen, Annie Lush, Alberto Bolzan and Peter Burling. The fleet will leave Melbourne on Tuesday January 2nd.
Replacing Burling and Balcaen was planned
Bouwe Bekking, the most experienced skipper of the fleet, explains: "It was always the plan that Burling and Balcaen went home after this leg. Burling has sailed everything from the start and also has some America's Cup obligations in the coming weeks."
"That we had to replace Annie after her injury is obvious. We felt we need to give Alberto some extra recovery time after this heavy Southern Ocean. This is sport at it's highest level and you have to be 100% fit. Better to take rest now and return later in the race."
Bekking happy with new powers
The skipper is happy with his new reinforcements. The veteran skipper is looking forward to set sails to Hong Kong with them. Bekking: "The idea was to bring in Juanpa Marcos and Jens Dolmer, but Juanpa his first baby is still not born, so he couldn't leave home to join the race."
"Jens is one the most competitive team players I know and we have done a lot of campaigns together. He has a reputation of an ocean racer with many technical skills. With this extremely short stopover in Melbourne, only sailors and two shore crew members are allowed to work on the boat. It was a no-brainer to bring Jens in at this moment. With Jens and Abby we now have two excellent boat captains who will do far more than just assisting the engineering team. We expect they can make the difference in getting the boat in an even better shape for the following leg."
"We are really happy with Sally Barkow stepping in for Annie. I know Sally a bit from the previous edition when she was on board Team SCA with Abby and Annie. Both of them are more than confident that she will fit in our Team Brunel."
"Rome, I know, but never sailed with him. I'm looking forward to sail with him. On paper he really fits in our philosophy of engineering a new generation. The same is true for Sam Newton. His sailing resume tells you enough. I don't have any doubts about their sailing qualities. Kyle and Capey talking highly of the both of them. Kyle has done two America's Cup campaigns with both of them."
Jens Dolmer, May 23, 1969: experience to match the youth
Dolmer, 48 years-old from Denmark was on board Team Brunel in the previous edition. Dolmer had sailed a lot with the team during Leg 0 in preparation towards this edition. As an America's Cup veteran and winner of the Maxi Worlds, Jens knows offshore sailing like no other. It will be his third Volvo Ocean Race after Ericsson in 2008-09 and Team Brunel in 2014-15.
On board he is known for his engineering skills, this was the reason he got nicknamed "MacGyver" during the last edition. He will assist Abby Ehler onboard as a boat-captain.
Sally Barkow, USA, July 10, 1980: back on the wheel
Sally, 37 years-old from Nashota, Wisconsin, is known as an excellent helmsman. The past few years she was helming The Magenta project. The Magenta Project was set up following the conclusion of Team SCA, the female team competing in the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race.
Sally is one of those skilled match racers. She competed for the US team in the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and was US Rolex Yachtswomen of the year in 2005 and 2007.
Sam Newton, AUS, March 11, 1986: Sydney Hobart sailor get a shot at VOR
Sam Newton was part of the Oracle Team USA since 2011 and won the 34th America's Cup in 2013. Newton grew up close to Sydney harbour. He won titles in many different classes, including six wins at the JJ Giltinan Trophy, the most important regatta for the spectacular 18-foot skiffs.
Next to that he took first place in the Sydney-Hobart Race aboard the "Wild Oats" and the "TP52 Quest". Newton was on board "Wild Oats XI" last week when they finish first in the Sydney-Hobart race, but got penalised and lost their line honours to "Comanche".
Rome Kirby, USA, June 6, 1989
Kirby, 28, from Newport, Rhode Island, won the 34th America's Cup in 2013 with Oracle Team USA and last sailed the Volvo Ocean Race in 2011-12 on Puma Ocean Racing, finishing third.
He will serve as a helmsman and sail trimmer for the team and is the team's fifth under 30-sailor. Professional sailing is in Kirby's blood. His father Jerry Kirby had a distinguished career as a professional sailor in the America's Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race.
Crewlist Team Brunel Leg 4
Bouwe Bekking – NED – skipper
Andrew Cape - AUS – navigator
Carlo Huisman – NED
Jens Dolmer – DEN
Kyle Langford – AUS
Sam Newton – AUS
Rome Kirby – USA
Sally Barkow – USA
Abby Ehler – GBR
Yan Riou – FRA - OBR