Kiwis in Volvo Ocean Race

Kiwis in Volvo Ocean Race

September 2008

New Zealand yachtsmen will have a significant role in the Volvo round the world yacht race which starts in Alicante, Spain on 11 October.

By the time crews reach the finish in St Petersburg Russia on 27 June next year they will have covered about 37,000 nautical miles through all the earth’s major oceans.

Four different teams will have Kiwis in their crews over the next nine months.

Daryl Wislang is part of the Spanish entry Telefonica, where he will be a bowman. A sail maker by trade, Daryl crewed on Movistar in the previous Volvo Ocean Race.

Last year he was involved in the sail management for the German America’s Cup Challenge.

“This is a dream come true,” said Wislang “It’s a real step up in sailing terms been given the chance to crew one of these boats and make the most of the experience is great.”

The Irish entry Green Dragon will be depending on a mast from Southern Spars in Auckland and will have Andrew McLean on board to keep an eye on things.

McLean was part of the Team New Zealand challenge for the America’s Cup last year. He has expertise in instrumentation, telemetry, weather forecasting and computer software. When the Aucklander is not handling all the high tech equipment he will be undertaking bowman duties on Green Dragon.

Rob Salthouse, also from Auckland, is crewing on Puma. Another sail maker he has come from the Team New Zealand America’s Cup challenge.

He will be joined by Justin Ferris from Keri Keri who also has previous Volvo Ocean Race experience from three years ago.

Like Salthouse he is listed as a trimmer on the crew sheet and also has sail co-ordination duties.

Richard Mason, who lives near Stockholm and has done the previous two Volvo races will be part of the Ericsson team.

And keeping an eye on it all will be Mike Boswell, originally from the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club in Wellington. Boswell is the logistic manager for the organisers of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Three years ago he was the project director for the New York stop over and involved in the leg which finished in Wellington.

The race is split into ten legs and has new stop over points at Cochin (India), Singapore, Qingdao (China), Galway (Ireland) and the finishing port.

This event is the third Volvo Ocean Race – the first was held in 2001 – 2002. Previously seven Whitbread round the world races were held between 1973 and 1997

For more information go to www.volvooceanrace.org

http://www.volvocars.com/nz/All-Cars-MY09/VolvoOceanRace/Pages/default.aspx

ENDS

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