VOR 2017-18

[DtM]

RS, please stop sucking in the helium.

As to the rules in the AC, the decision to give OR a one point start (although note it could have been TNZ had they won) was agreed by ALL of the challengers.  The kiwis are whinging but they knew the rules.  Having said that, I agree it is stupid as was the carry over points from the ACWS.

 

[forss]

http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/presszone/en/3782_Britains-Dee-Caffari-will-lead-Turn-the-Tide-on-Plastic-a-mixed-youth-focused-team-with-a-strong-sustainability-message.html

6th team announced

 

[zlobko]

http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/presszone/en/3782_Britains-Dee-Caffari-will-lead-Turn-the-Tide-on-Plastic-a-mixed-youth-focused-team-with-a-strong-sustainability-message.html

6th team announced

next offcial team news 'may be' expected after AC final race

... if any

 

[Retired Sailor]

Good news definitely for us mice (yes DtM I'm still running in the wheel), but I'm wondering what the next VOR 'message' will be to top this one, and also how these 'messages' are playing out with other committed sponsors because it seems to top even Vestas 11th Hour Racing, although that remains to be seen because they haven't named a crew yet, to my knowledge. If I was Dongfeng, Mapfre or AkzoNobel, the three earliest committers, I'd be pretty pissed off right about now. It would certainly make me more determined to win, unless the 'fix was in'. I trust that you understand what that means.

 

[GBH]

The VOR have not put designs out to tender in the past.  They privately asked for suggestions for the last race's boat, and Farr pitched the VO65.  This time they seem to have simply decided straight up to ask VPLP. Ter could really not have been worse.

Not so, they asked several design firms for their proposals, shortlisted two and then because of MTs previously stated trying to combine IMOCA and Volvo into the same animal went with Verdier. With everything that's been seen so far then it's patently a non-starter to go that route, and the vapourware pretty pic that was released was nothing more than that. However it's all wasting time and they were short of time last time around but were well into build by this stage.

However I do agree that MT is destroying the Volvo and all that it stands for in the name of chasing the bucks and generating a show pony model - there sure are some parallels with Coutts with their 20 minute races for TV and stuff the sailors getting a bit of decent racetrack.  How long before they put the delivery crews on for the ocean legs I wonder!

Cynically you have to think MT is possibly wearing a few too many hats at the moment, has the Volvo, wants to take over IMOCA and amalgamate, and I'd be pretty sure he has another agenda out there in the wings outside of Volvo.

 

[DtM]

Great to see Dee as the skipper of a boat. 

Perhaps those critics of her earlier in this thread will now have the good grace to apologise. She has done exactly what you wanted and organised a team.

I like the crew profile she is trying to achieve and I am confident she has the ability to pull it off and I will be cheering from the sidelines for her team.

 

[shanghaisailor]

All those naysayers a couple of months ago saying that there wasn't going to be a full start line

Dee is a welcome return to the VOR and with (I think) 3 circumnavigations to her name certainly knows her way round the planet.

Only two slots left - will we see newcomers filling them or more familiar faces returning?

SS.

 

[jack_sparrow]

The Mirpuri guy's bio is pretty interesting. Good to see the the Porta-gees showing up.

 

[jfunk]

Anyone who has put a tender out knows full well beforehand who has/will win it. The extension is marketing shit.

Wrong and

If the tender process is anything like some others that have been done in the past, then the designers have already been chosen and this is nothing but an ideas trawl and a PR exercise in democracy.  Remind you of Tony Blair and the 'listening government website' that took absolutely no notice of anything?

Should only take one guess!

wrong.

 

[Retired Sailor]

Great to see Dee as the skipper of a boat. 

Perhaps those critics of her earlier in this thread will now have the good grace to apologise. She has done exactly what you wanted and organised a team.

I always suspected that that is where she expected to be when the SCA crew was being 'assembled and trained' by men, and that that was an issue on SCA, but I was never a critic of her on this forum. But her significant RTW credentials are single-handed, albeit very impressive. Only time will tell how well she does as the skipper of a 50/50 crew. It will be interesting to follow. And now there are two left. 

 

[jack_sparrow]

Wrong and

wrong.

Fuck off....2 wong's make a wight

 

[Retired Sailor]

On second thought, may be she just challenged the selecting men too much to be chosen as skipper, in which case, more power to her. Jack how would you describe such a woman, and no puns or graphic pictures please?

 

[DtM]

I am not sure how many would have disagreed with Sam being the skipper last time around but Dee certainly has the credentials to lead. Have a look at the team she races with in the middle east and other projects.

Met her in Sydney when she was commentating on the Extreme Sailing. Very humble and plenty of knowledge and experience.

5 times round the marble I think SS. Skipper in the Clipper Race. 2 solo non stop, one the wrong way round and one Vendee. One Barcelona World Race (non stop) and then all but one leg (I think) in the last Volvo.

 

[jack_sparrow]

On second thought, may be she just challenged the selecting men too much to be chosen as skipper, in which case, more power to her. Jack how would you describe such a woman, and no puns or graphic pictures please?

I'm with DtM..Dee has the credentials over and above going around once already in a 65. The dynamics on SCA were a bit hard to fathom but won't be repeated in a mixed crew, so that is irrelevant. Her girl picks will be interesting.

 

[JeronimoII]

great to have Dee back. She is an excellent sailor and a great personality. And here we have the suspected Portuguese connection. With portuguese Millionaire Mirpuri behind and at least two Portuguese on board, the boat is likely to carry the Portugal flag.

But I agree with Retired Sailor above. No way two foundations are chipping in 12 Mn EUR for a VOR campaign (+ activation), even if the Millionaire or the Lisbon stopover are paying part of it. This race is definitely doomed as a brand activation platform for corporate sponsors. For Volvo (AB and Cars) it is surely working very well. The fact that they are putting so much money into it proves it (including into the teams like this one).  If one day Volvo pulls the plug, it is over...

 

[NORBowGirl]

I always suspected that that is where she expected to be when the SCA crew was being 'assembled and trained' by men, and that that was an issue on SCA, but I was never a critic of her on this forum. But her significant RTW credentials are single-handed, albeit very impressive. Only time will tell how well she does as the skipper of a 50/50 crew. It will be interesting to follow. And now there are two left. 

You don't know anything about what she was thinking, so just stop speculating. Open your mind a little and imagine that women might not have an issue about which sex their coaches or skippers are. They are individuals and don't want to be treated as anything else. There's nothing special about them being women.

 

[Francis Vaughan]

As I wrote earlier, it was pretty obvious from the moment MT alluded to the team that there was going to be some Volvo money involved. What is perhaps more worrying is that his words implied that this was likely the last team that would be announced.

No change whatsoever from GermanOceanRacing on their web site or Facebook. One of the invisible (except to Google) pages says 2020-2021 race anyway.

Anyone free in October for a bit of an adventure?

 

[Potter]

. But her significant RTW credentials are single-handed, albeit very impressive. Only time will tell how well she does as the skipper of a 50/50 crew. It will be interesting to follow. And now there are two left. 

Actually only two of her 5 RTW are single-handed, it just happens that those are the ones the media paid attention to. Last time she sailed single-handed was the 2008 Vendee Globe. 

 

[jack_sparrow]

Actually only two of her 5 RTW are single-handed, it just happens that those are the ones the media paid attention to. Last time she sailed single-handed was the 2008 Vendee Globe. 

Dead right Potter she has moved on since SH stuff nearly 10 years ago and probably the best credentialled management wise and crewed lady skipper out there since then..sorry Sam. 

 

[shanghaisailor]

Actually only two of her 5 RTW are single-handed, it just happens that those are the ones the media paid attention to. Last time she sailed single-handed was the 2008 Vendee Globe. 

I think we are actually both wrong, I forgot about her skippering one of Chay's boats..

Her first go round was as a skipper in Chay Blyth's Global Challenge event.

2nd was sponsored by Aviva to replicate Chay Blyth's circumnavigation against the prevailing winds hence her Autobiography title "Against the Flow".

3rd Vendee Globe, again sponsored by Aviva making her 1st woman to circle both directions.

4th With SCA in last VOR.

I can't think of a 5th but might be wrong.

But you are completely correct Potter, she has sailed twice around with a crew and most importantly, one of those occasions was as skipper and also with an amateur crew in the same vein as the Clipper which must be a tougher assignment and with a crew that knows completely what they are doing.

Don't underestimate her, she actually has more ocean miles, I'd wager, than Sam Davies.

SS