Race leaders Telefónica are going to have to be on their toes, as CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand are using all the resources at their disposal to challenge for the number one spot.They will be utilising the help of the team’s America’s Cup squad coaches to work on their short course racing. Coach Rod Davis and team video analyst Joey Allan are flying to Sanya to work with Chris Nicholson’s crew on this area, which is one in which CAMPER are already out-performing the overall leaders.
Speaking in his blog, Nicholson said the team’s desire to step up their performance was all the more intense given that Leg 4 will see them racing to Auckland, New Zealand, where the boat was launched.
“Here in Sanya our focus is on stamping out the errors that we are making and ensuring that we are in the best shape possible for the next leg into Auckland, which is obviously a massive one for us as a team and one which we will give a huge push for,” he said.
Nicholson has stated that he is keen for his team to set themselves up well for the fourth leg with a strong showing in the Sanya In-Port race and says he is delighted to be able to call on Davis and Allan to help them do just that.
“This is fantastic and having their input into our crew processes, on board communication and a few other key areas will be a real boost,” he said.
Davis, who is an Olympic gold medallist and an America’s Cup veterean, has spoken on his ETNZ blog confirming the secondment. However, he also confessed that ocean racing was something of an alien environment to him.
He said: “Joe Allen and I have a very temporary transfer from the Emirates Team New Zealand America’s Cup team to the CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand Volvo Ocean Race team.
“What I know about Volvo Ocean Race boats, their crews and the race is this: They push themselves to the max, harder than a human body should be pushed. It applies for both the mental and physical side.
“I would be totally out of my depth in any talks of say, more than 100 miles offshore. Still, racing around buoys in an in-port race is something Joe and I have trained for the last 10-15 years,” he added.
The team’s first priority is to get up to speed with the details of Volvo Ocean Race in-port racing and Nicholson has said that he and the entire CAMPER crew were enthusiastic about getting the input of the two expert coaches.
“I know all the guys can’t wait for them to get up here and we’ll wring them dry for every last bit of advice and help on how we can win,” he said.
“If I had my way we’d see them at every stopover, but I think the America’s Cup guys might have something to say about that!”
Picture: PAUL TODD/Volvo Ocean Race
