[Source: Barcelona World Race] Guillermo Altadill and Pachi Rivero will be the skippers of the Spanish boat Estrella Damm for the second edition of the Barcelona World Race. The project was presented today.

The Estrella Damm Sailing Team was introduced to the media today by its sponsor, the beer company Estrella Damm, in the Marina Port Vell, Barcelona. Estrella Damm, one of the Barcelona World Race’s main sponsors, will once again take part with a boat of its own in the round-the-world double-handed race. The Estrella Damm is to be co-skippered by Barcelona born Guillermo Altadill and Santander born Pachi Rivero. Guillermo crewed with the first Estrella Damm in the 2007/2008 edition of the Barcelona Word Race, together with Jonathan McKee, and Pachi was a crew member with Bubi Sansó of the Mutua Madrileña.

The “new” Estrella Damm in her first sailing tests. Barcelona, 12 July 2009. Photo copyright Jorge Andreu / Estrella Damm

The new Estrella Damm, a Bruce Farr’s team’s design, participated in the last edition of the Vendée Globe and is one of the most powerful IMOCA Open 60s of today’s international fleet. The team just announced a comprehensive programme of technical and sporting tune-ups including participation in the two IMOCA scheduled races: the Istanbul Europa Race, in August/September 2009, and the Transat Jacques Vabre, in November.

During the presentation, Guillermo Altadill expressed his wish to take part in the Barcelona World Race and his determination to sail a good race. “We’ve built all our hopes on the race and we have a good training programme. We are dealing with a great challenge, that can be faced thanks to our sponsor’s support and initiative. I’m certain that Pachi and I will do a great job in the Barcelona World Race.”

On the other hand, Pachi Rivero stressed the toughness of the race, “the route is indeed hard but the thrill of being there makes it less difficult. The fundamental thing is the human factor, my partnership with Guillemo.”

The announcement of the Estrella Damm’s participation follows the confirmation of the the first Barcelona World Race edition winner Jean-Perre Dick’s involvement in the race. Prospects are good for the event, which is organized by the Fundació Navegació Oceànica Barcelona and departs on December 31, 2010.

The “new” Estrella Damm in her first sailing tests. Barcelona, 12 July 2009. Photo copyright Jorge Andreu / Estrella Damm

Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back

[Source: Barcelona World Race] Winner of the first edition will be on the start line aboard the next Paprec Virbac at Barcelona on 31 December, 2010.

French sailor Jean-Pierre Dick, winner of the inaugural around-the-world Barcelona World Race, has confirmed his participation in the second edition. Jean-Pierre Dick is among the elite of skippers with wins in several of the world’s great oceanic races. The start of the next Barcelona World Race will be on 31 December, 2010.

Jean-Pierre Dick will be at the helm of the next Paprec-Virbac , which is presently under construction in New Zealand. It was aboard Paprec Virbac 2 that he secured his sensational victory at Barcelona, establishing the record the skippers will be aiming to beat in eighteen months time: 92 days, 8 hours, 49 minutes and 49 seconds.

Last winter Jean-Pierre Dick took part in the Vendée Globe, once again sailing aboard Paprec Virbac 2. On this occasion he was forced to retire from the race after hitting an unidentified floating object in the Southern Ocean, at which time he was leading the fleet.

Since registration for entries opened on 18th June last, the Barcelona World Race organizers have been working closely with those skippers who have expressed an interest in racing in the next edition. Nine boats took part in the first race, and it is expected that there will be between 10 and 12 on the start line on the last day of 2010, of which at least three should be Spanish entries.

Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back

[Source: Barcelona World Race] The 2010 edition of the Barcelona World Race re-launches with more support than ever

The unique and prestigious two-handed round the world race, the Barcelona World Race, has launched a campaign that will culminate in the start of its second edition, on 31 December, 2010. The most significant event in the ocean racing calendar for the next 2 years will publish its Notice of Race and open the team registration process on 18 June, 2009.

Alternating with the Vendée Globe as one of just two official IMOCA 60 Ocean Racing World Championship round the world races, this’ two-up’ challenge links the two worlds of the solo Vendée and the fully crewed Volvo Ocean Race and will maintain its tough but rewarding duo format, racing around the globe from Barcelona to Barcelona.

Since the end of the first edition (March 2008), the organization has worked steadily to consolidate sponsorship and to develop a strategy which will lead to an excellent event in the winter of 2010. Now with two main sponsors, 24 supporting partners, official suppliers and four institutional patrons, the Barcelona World Race faces its future with confidence as the third edition has already been set for 31 December, 2014. The race is proud to maintain its main sponsor, the Barcelona brewery and soft drinks company Estrella Damm, and to see Renault Spain, supporting partner in the first edition, claiming the title of joint sponsor for this second tour.

Much more than just a sailing event

The first edition of the Barcelona World Race was an unprecedented sports and media success. The race was the first ever two-handed circumnavigation and the first to have the name of a city in its title – Barcelona – in order to reinforce its identity, which will guarantee it a reliable future format and continuity. In spite of its short existence, the race has already been deemed a classic – defining its own model which is in the process of becoming a benchmark in the world of ocean racing.

The 2007 edition brought together nine boats and 18 skippers from six different nationalities, most at the top of their professional sailing careers. The figures speak for themselves as the impact generated on all mediums of communication produced a return of 45 million Euros, with a 277 million strong TV audience, 400 hours of TV (25 of which were news) broadcasted internationally. More than 5,000 articles were published in the written press and 200 activities and cultural events directly related with the race were organized. Over the 10 days before the start of the race more than 500,000 people visited the race village and watched the start from the waterfront. On 11 November 2007, 650 spectator boats in Barcelona and more than 200 in Sitges, the first mark of the race, gathered to watch the IMOCA 60s start their 27,000 mile long course. The competition was followed by sailing fans around the world with 2.9 million visitors to the races’s website.

A key position in the international calendar

The Barcelona World Race, along with the Vendée Globe, are the only two round the world races in the official IMOCA calendar for the next four years. In addition, because of its format as a double-handed race, it complements the other two top-class professional circumnavigations of the international sailing calendar: the single-handed Vendée Globe and the fully crewed Volvo Ocean Race. This factor has been highly valued by the race’s sailors, technicians and sponsors with regards to planning a profitable and technically integrated campaign.

A down to earth strategy for 2010: strong support for skippers and sponsors

The Barcelona World Race was created by OC Events and FNOB (Fundació Navegació Oceànica Barcelona – Barcelona Foundation for Ocean Sailing.) For this and future editions, FNOB is now the exclusive organizer of the race and OC Events will operate in a consultancy capacity, in particular by marketing the event on an international scale. The team is readying to face the challenge of organizing and promoting the second edition of a sporting event that is expected to exceed even the expectations of the first.

Continuing the trend set during the first edition, whilst at the same time adapting to the new reality brought about by economic recession, the Barcelona World Race 2010 has defined two clear objectives in its general strategy:

- To set up the necessary resources and strategies to facilitate the funding of the skippers’ campaigns
- To optimize the return on investment for all team sponsors.

A central element in this strategy will be the financial, logistic and communication support package set up to enable teams to cut the cost of their campaigns by up to 20%. The details of this support package will be announced in the pre-Notice of Race, to be published on Thursday 18 June.

On that same day the official entry list will be opened and the countdown to the start of the biggest ocean-racing event of the next two years will start.

The rendez vous: 31 December 2010, Barcelona

Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back

Estrella Damm, the Spanish beer group announced yesterday it would once again be the main sponsor of the Barcelona World Race, the round-the-world race scheduled to start two years from now, on December 31st 2010. According to its CEO, the first edition of this new event was proven to be a commercial success for the group and as a result the renewal was an obvious choice.

In addition to being the event’s main sponsor, Estrella Damm will also take part in the race with a team that will bear its name, just like it did in 2007 with Guillermo Altadill and Jonathan McKee. The Estrella Damm boat, even though its details are not yet fully known, will be presented next spring and its first regatta will be a transatlantic one between Barcelona and New York.

In the 2007-2008 edition, Estrella Damm was forced to retire one month into the race, following its diversion to Cape Town to repair a problem with its rudders.

The Estrella Damm boat during her official presentation and sail. Barcelona, 27 September 2007. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back

[Source: Barcelona World Race] Swiss skipper Dominique Wavre and French yachtswoman Michele Paret crossed the finish line in their IMOCA Open 60 “Temenos II” to become the third boat in the Barcelona World Race.

They crossed the finish line at 18.09 GMT on Sunday just off the Olympic Port of Barcelona among family, friends and supporters who accompanied the ecstatic skippers back to shore.

After 98 days 7 hours, 9 minutes and 10 seconds exactly at sea, it has been a truly “unique round the world experience” for both, as reflected by Dominique’s words just hours from the finish.

“We have been really happy with the boat and it is sad to leave it,” said the Swiss Skipper, “It is all a bit confusing in my head for the moment – the race is ending, it is a nice life and we always want this kind of sailing to continue. I will need one or two days to take it all in.”

Partners in real life as well as a winning combination on the water; Wavre and Paret have 8 circumnavigations between them, the Swiss-French tandem have overcome adversity and faced the extremes of this first edition of the Barcelona World Race up to the very end; battling harsh conditions in the Straits of Gibraltar before enjoying the last few days in some welcome calmer Mediterranean sailing conditions.

“We didn’t really talk much.” said Michele when asked about their last moments at sea, “We looked at each other and said to ourselves ‘well, that’s that, we’ve done it’. We left a little room for emotion and it was as if we were closing the door on the race. But we are here at restaurant time this evening and we’re keen to indulge in the pleasures of land!” added the experienced French yachtswoman laughing.

Temenos II crosses the finish line in 3rd place. Barcelona, 17 February 2008. Photo copyright Thierry Martinez / Barcelona World Race

Original post by Valencia Sailing and software by Elliott Back

[Source: Barcelona World Race] Jean Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall have crossed the finish line at 20h 49.49 GMT in the port of Barcelona and officially are the winners of the first edition of the Barcelona World Race. The ecstatic duo are clearly over the moon, jumping up and down in celebration of an incredible feat – 92 days 8hours 49minutes and 49seconds having covered 28,329 miles non-stop around the world.

Jean-Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall onboard Paprec-Virbac 2 on approach to the finish line. Barcelona, 11 February 2008. Photo copyright Thierry Martinez / Sea and Co / Barcelona World Race

Original post by Valencia Sailing and software by Elliott Back

[Source: Barcelona World Race] After an already epic journey in some of the world’s harshest waters Barcelona World Race leaders Paprec Virbac 2 are finally back into the Mediterranean and their last 400 miles to Barcelona. Yet by no means is the battle over for Jean Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall, who passed Scoring Gate 8 in the Strait of Gibraltar at 18.39 GMT last night (with elapsed time of 14 Days 22 Hours and 14 seconds from Fernando de Noronha.) The Franco-Irish tandem is currently sailing in the Alboran Sea, close to Malaga, with easterly winds still gusting at 35 knots.

“We have had to change down to a storm jib for the first time in the race,” Jean Pierre told us this morning, “the sea is completely white. It is actually quite beautiful but stressful on both us and the boat! We are well aware that the mast and the keel are “tired” now, so we’re a little concerned.”

Very tough sailing conditions have meant a long and very physical approach to the Strait as the race leaders were forced to tack along the coast and shelter from busy traffic lanes and big seas.

“At Gibraltar we passed alongside an enormous CGM cargo ship; we cant let our guard down at any moment,” said the French skipper, “the big question we have to face now is which side we are going to pass Ibiza because there is not going to be a lot of wind…”

Currently the Estimated Time of Arrival for Paprec Virbac 2 is still Monday afternoon 11th February. However as Skipper Jean Pierre Dick explained,

“It could quite probably be the 12th if we come across an area of calm.”

Hugo Boss remains 373 miles behind, and after making some amazing gains on the leader in the last couple of days they will now have to face similarly challenging upwind conditions.

Currently making their way south east down the Portuguese coast, Alex Thomson and Andrew Cape are 250 miles from Gibraltar at the 1200 GMT position report. Their ETA for the Strait scoring gate is late afternoon Sunday 10th February, and for Barcelona Wednesday 13th February at midday.

Behind the leaders, the battle for the podium continues between Mutua Madrileña and Temenos II; the Spanish team is now 193 miles behind, and making slower progress than their Swiss-French rivals.

But skipper Javier “Bubi” Sansó is optimistic:

“We still have firing power! In this race we have seen that 200 miles can be made up in just one or two days – there is a lot of race left and we still have our chances.”

At the back of the fleet, Educación sin Fronteras passed Scoring Gate 7 at Fernando de Noronha last night at 18.54 GMT (elapsed time of 17 days 3 hours and 59 minutes from Cape Horn.)
Albert Bargues admits that the thought of home is increasingly enticing:

“We are under 3000 miles away! Cape Horn and the Atlantic were psychologically really important, but once we get past Gibraltar we will be on a home stretch and the hardest part will be over.”

Day 91 – February 9 12:00 GMT - Position report with distance to leader

1. PAPREC-VIRBAC 2 – Jean Pierre DICK / Damian FOXALL – 389 to finish
2. HUGO BOSS – Alex THOMSON / Andrew CAPE – 373
3. TEMENOS 2 – Dominique Wavre / Michele PARET- 1352
4. MUTUA MADRILENA – Javier SANSO / Pachi RIVERO – 1545
5. EDUCACION SIN FRONTERAS – Servane ESCOFFIER / Albert BARGUES – 2745

Abandoned – VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT – Roland JOURDAIN / Jean Luc NELIAS
Abandoned – ESTRELLA DAMM – Guillermo ALTADILL / JONATHAN MCKEE
Abandoned – DELTA DORE – Jérémie BEYOU / Sidney GAVIGNET
Abandoned – PRB – Vincent Riou / Sebastien JOSSE

Original post by Valencia Sailing and software by Elliott Back

[Source: Barcelona World Race] Winning a global, non-stop, short-handed ocean race is never easy, but the two sailors on Paprec-Virbac 2 are facing a very stern test in the closing days of their circumnavigation. With the finishing line just 700 miles away, the wind and waves have picked up dramatically, and the second placed boat is closing fast. To add to the difficult circumstances on board, food is now in short supply with the finish still four days away.

“It’s very windy now and quite rough on board,” said an audibly tense Jean-Pierre when he was reached this afternoon. “We are sailing upwind of course, expecting even stronger winds. Now we have 25 knots, big waves, and we’re keeping our finger crossed. We have not been fast these last hours, mostly because of the waves which are up to three metres. The swell is very short and strong, and the boat is pounding into the waves a lot. It’s not great for our speed and not good for our tired boat. We’re going to have similar conditions after Gibraltar, but that’s the way the race goes. The wind is like this…”

Piling the pressure on the leader is Hugo Boss. The black boat has completed a phenomenal 24 hours in gaining just a shade under 200 miles. The margin between first and second is now less than 400 miles and the forecast continues to favour skippers Alex Thomson and Andrew Cape who are cutting the corner to Gibraltar. Although it won’t be long before Hugo Boss is tacking up the strong headwinds as well.

The cat and mouse game between Temenos II and Mutua Madrileña continues with a new twist. After days of shadowing each other, Mutua Madrileña made a move towards the west overnight, as conditions became slightly less stable. The move didn’t pay off initially as it takes them further from their goal at Gibraltar. But the team is hoping that stronger winds will compensate for the extra distance.

“This option to the west has a lot of possibilities for us,” said Javier Sanso today. “Even if every six hours or so the weather scenario changes.”

Ahead, Dominique Wavre was enjoying the clear skies overhead on Temenos II: “It is so nice and sunny, the sea is quiet and calm, and that’s fantastic! We are playing with some high pressure bubbles by heading more to the east and we are quite satisfied with our new position… We are making good progress…I don’t know yet if this will be a key moment in our battle with Mutua Madrileña.”

Life is also good on board Educación sin Fronteras where Albert Bargués described ‘great sailing conditions’. With another 250 miles under their belts, the ESF crew is looking to reach the next scoring gate at Fernando de Noronha tomorrow afternoon.

Day 89 – February 7 14:00 GMT - Position report with distance to leader

1. PAPREC-VIRBAC 2 – Jean Pierre DICK / Damian FOXALL – 698 to finish
2. HUGO BOSS – Alex THOMSON / Andrew CAPE – 398
3. TEMENOS 2 – Dominique Wavre / Michele PARET- 1527
4. MUTUA MADRILENA – Javier SANSO / Pachi RIVERO – 1630
5. EDUCACION SIN FRONTERAS – Servane ESCOFFIER / Albert BARGUES – 2878

Abandoned – VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT – Roland JOURDAIN / Jean Luc NELIAS
Abandoned – ESTRELLA DAMM – Guillermo ALTADILL / JONATHAN MCKEE
Abandoned – DELTA DORE – Jérémie BEYOU / Sidney GAVIGNET
Abandoned – PRB – Vincent Riou / Sebastien JOSSE

Original post by Valencia Sailing and software by Elliott Back

[Source: Barcelona World Race] The situation is getting more difficult now for the race leading crew on board Paprec-Virbac 2 as weather conditions have forced them further and further north of Gibraltar. Skippers Jean-Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall are waiting for the wind to shift to allow them to tack towards the gate to the Mediterranean.

But the forecast shows they’ll have upwind conditions the rest of the way, meaning the next few days will see them tacking up the coast, each tack requiring up to half an hour of hard manual labour as they shift the contents of the boat (sails, water ballast, navigation station) from side to side in an effort to balance the boat and keep it flat and fast.

And they’ll have to do it on reduced rations as their food supplies become more and more meagre by the day.

“Oh man…we’re going to be tacking now after we finish this chat I reckon. This high pressure ridge is messing us around a bit. And it’s going to be one of very many tacks between here and Barcelona because, guess what? It’s on the wind all of the way!” said Damian, considering his fate.

“I was looking at my menu for the next few days. I’m still in the freeze-dried for now and I’m hoping it’s going to get me through Gibraltar and maybe the Alboran Sea before I’m stuck with soup packets. I think it’ll be alright. But it’s going to be a very busy six days or so. We just have to keep the boat together, but our mates on Hugo Boss are going to come into us big time; they have a perfect situation, reaching up on the Southeasterly flow. But we’re pretty close to the finish now, and they have to do all the upwind work as well, but they will get closer.”

Behind them, Hugo Boss is roaring along, closing the gap with each hour. When reached today, Andrew Cape said the black boat was making 22 knots, also heading north of the ideal route, but nevertheless cutting the corner on Paprec-Virbac 2 and gaining miles. The margin between the boats is again under 600 miles, and that will close dramatically over the next 48 hours or so.

“We’re looking for a windshift, but at the moment we’re sailing north of where we want to go so that we stay in the wind,” ‘Capey’ explained. “It looks a bit ridiculous on a map, but that’s what we have to do. They (Paprec-Virbac2) are going to have a pretty slow day today and tomorrow…the timing for us is a bit better so we’re hoping to close it down quite a bit.”

The next 24 hours could also prove significant in the battle for third place as the trade winds give way to small pressure systems. The resulting instability could be an opportunity for either Temenos II or Mutua Madrileña to gain an advantage.

“Over the next 24 hours we’re going to have a big windshift to the North. Temenos II will have it maybe seven hours before us,” Javier Sansó explained. “When we get it we will tack and after that we have to deal with a weak low pressure system…it’s very strange…it’s very unstable conditions that give some wide open options. It will be the start of the big game.”

“If I was them, I would try to use this situation,” said Dominique Wavre, from 90 miles in front, on board Temenos II. “We have some ideas and are going to do our best here.”

Behind the others, Educación sin Fronteras is enjoying stronger trade wind conditions, racing along at 14 knots.

Watch ‘The Barcelona World Race’: Episode Two of the six-part series, ‘The Barcelona World Race’ is now available to watch online at: http://www.barcelonaworldrace.com/player/. A new episode will be posted every Friday.

Day 88 – February 6, 14:00 GMT - Position report with distance to leader

1. PAPREC-VIRBAC 2 – Jean Pierre DICK / Damian FOXALL – 860 miles to finish
2. HUGO BOSS – Alex THOMSON / Andrew CAPE – 591
3. TEMENOS 2 – Dominique Wavre / Michele PARET- 1517
4. MUTUA MADRILENA – Javier SANSO / Pachi RIVERO – 1604
5. EDUCACION SIN FRONTERAS – Servane ESCOFFIER / Albert BARGUES – 2965

Original post by Valencia Sailing and software by Elliott Back

[Source: Barcelona World Race] It’s been a fantastic 24 hours for the leading boat in the Barcelona World Race as Paprec-Virbac 2 gybed overnight and began heading more towards Gibraltar at good speed. As a result, skippers Jean-Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall have piled on the miles, adding over 150 miles to their lead over the last 24 hours.

But trouble looms ahead as the weather forecast is for lighter headwinds for much of the rest of the way to Gibraltar and even beyond into the Mediterranean. This means the impressive mileage is going to slow and second placed Hugo Boss is likely to make a deep cut into the lead over the coming three or four days. Latest projections have Paprec-Virbac reaching Gibraltar on the 8th of February. That would make their finish in Barcelona likely to be on the 11th.

“We are doing our best, by sailing as fast as we can and yes we turned right last night finally. We are getting closer but we are still about 550 miles away from Gibraltar,” Jean-Pierre explained. “We are full of hope but it is going to be difficult to get there. We are going to have to sail upwind from tomorrow morning the rest of the way there.”

“They should go faster than us today and then we should go faster and close up a bit,” confirmed Alex Thomson on Hugo Boss. “We can’t turn properly yet, we won’t head for Gibraltar for another three days and then have wind on starboard tack before tacking. We won’t be heading there just yet.”

And a tense battle is being fought between Temenos II and Mutua Madrileña just north of the doldrums. “There are still a lot of miles to race and the weather situation is not very clear, which is maybe good for us,” said Javier Sansó today, cautioning that for the moment, due to relatively stable trade wind conditions, he doesn’t expect much movement for the next 48 hours or so. The gap between the boats is just 95 miles.

Dominique Wavre, on Temenos II, agreed: “It’s certainly not finished yet. We still have the Azores high pressure and the Mediterranean to deal with. It’s definitely not boring!! It’s like an ocean match race!”

And at the back on board Educación sin Fronteras, Servanne and Albert are enjoying ‘champagne’ sailing conditions, with moderate winds easing their boat up towards the equator.

Day 87 – February 5, 14:00 GMT - Position report with distance to leader

1. PAPREC-VIRBAC 2 – Jean Pierre DICK / Damian FOXALL – 1407 to finish
2. HUGO BOSS – Alex THOMSON / Andrew CAPE – 523
3. TEMENOS 2 – Dominique Wavre / Michele PARET- 1391
4. MUTUA MADRILENA – Javier SANSO / Pachi RIVERO – 1480
5. EDUCACION SIN FRONTERAS – Servane ESCOFFIER / Albert BARGUES – 2811

Abandoned – VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT – Roland JOURDAIN / Jean Luc NELIAS
Abandoned – ESTRELLA DAMM – Guillermo ALTADILL / JONATHAN MCKEE
Abandoned – DELTA DORE – Jérémie BEYOU / Sidney GAVIGNET
Abandoned – PRB – Vincent Riou / Sebastien JOSSE

Original post by Valencia Sailing and software by Elliott Back