CAMPER set for in-port action in Alicante

Emirates Team New Zealand Media Update: CAMPER set for in-port action in Alicante

28 October 2011


CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand is set for action with the first in-port race of the 2011/12 Volvo Ocean Race kicking off in Alicante, Spain.

The race which runs on the afternoon of Saturday 29 October (Spanish time) will be the first time the entire Volvo fleet has competitively lined up against each other.

Skipper Chris Nicholson says that the team is ready to go and keen to get out on the water.

“We’ve been building up to this for a long time and now we just want to get out there and race – we can’t wait to line up against the other teams and see how we look.

“We’ve been showing solid form in the practice events and the guys and the boat are in good shape overall. Our preparation has been as good as what we could hope for – now it’s just time to translate that into results.

“There’s a lot riding on these in-port races and we are determined to do well. The close nature of this race means that every point will count and we will be giving it our all.

“The in-port racing format is extremely demanding and the high standard of all the teams means that nothing can be taken for granted.”

In-port races take place in all 10 host ports along the 39,000 nautical mile route and deliver over 20 percent of the total points on offer. They are sailed close to shore over short, sharp courses requiring multiple sail changes.

The first offshore leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, a 6,500 mile race from Alicante to Cape Town, starts on November 5.