| SANXENXO, SPAIN-(1-12-2005) At the beginning of November, the Volvo Extreme 40 class experienced a successful first appearance in Sanxenco, Spain. After a close competition of twelve races and a tied battle for victory, the American skipper Randy Smyth and his crew on the Tommy Hilfiger boat won the first Volvo Extreme 40 Grand Prix ever.
It was not an easy win, since Team Volvo Ocean Race with Carolijn Brouwer on the helm, took the lead from the very beginning. The Dutch former dinghy sailor (Olympic Europe and 470) offered respected world-class fellow competitors, like Olympic Tornado class medallists Randy Smyth and Mitch Booth from Team Holmatro, heavy resistance. Finally, she had to bow to the Americans in the last race. Holmatro finished third overall. Jaap Meijer, Managing Director of Holmatro: “We have seen high level multihull racing here. It was a true spectacle and exactly what we envisaged with Team Holmatro.”
Prior to the start of the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race on November 12th, five full carbon fibre 40-foot catamarans coloured the beautiful Bay of Sanxenco. The sailing conditions from Sunday November 6th until Thursday November 10th ranged from light to moderate. The teams pushed their boats hard, which caused one collision and one man over board, but the spirit was up. Among many spectators onshore, the crew of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, the American entry in the Volvo Ocean Race, could not resist the exciting competition on Monday. They were witness to the American VX40 successes, as Tommy Hilfiger won twice that day. Herbert Dercksen, CEO Volvo Extreme 40 Class and crew member of Team Holmatro: “We wanted an interesting class for public and we have succeeded. The hard work has paid off here in Sanxenxo. It is great to see the boats racing out there, to see the sailors’ professionalism and joy and to see enthusiastic spectators.”
Sailing a VX40
As high-tech speed merchants, the VX40s are demanding to sail and punish mistakes. So the five crews assembled for the first Grand Prix are led by world-class sailors, including Olympians Mitch Booth, Carolijn Brouwer, Hugh Styles and Randy Smyth. Ocean sailor and Whitbread veteran Conrad Humphreys leads the fifth team. Hugh Styles about sailing the VX40 to its full potential: “This boat is bigger and heavier than a Tornado. It goes faster, but also needs more attention to keep up to speed. With the Tornado we push it harder and we sail more on the edge. We will need to learn to sail like that with these cats as well, but we need time and hours in the boat.”
One of the most interesting characteristics of the Grand Prix series is the ‘guest’ spot on board. As with the 18th man in the America’s Cup, the brand new 40-foot cats are designed to take an extra person on board for racing. That means sponsor guests, journalists, and others who happen to be in the right place at the right time, will have a chance to enjoy the adrenalin rush the VX40s inspire.
Next stop VX40 Grand Prix
The Grand Prix series will continue in four more stopover ports around the world. After racing wraps up in Sanxenxo, the next stops are Rio de Janeiro, Baltimore, Portsmouth and finally Rotterdam. They will be part of the official stopover programs for the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06. There is talk of an exhibition series in Melbourne, and with more multihulls under construction, it is likely the five-boat fleet will grow in each stopover port.
Points table after one Grand Prix:
1. Tommy Hilfiger, 95 points
2. Volvo Ocean Race, 90 points
3. Holmatro, 87 points
4. Motorola-CHR, 79 points
5. Basilica, 67 points
|
