Coming to Newport: Excitement and Anxiety

With the arrival of the Volvo Ocean Race fleet in Newport likely to be Thursday (May 7), onboard thoughts are turning toward the occasion. Here are a couple:

Nick Dana (USA), Team Alvimedica:
Racing home. Not a very common feeling when sailing into Newport. Many races start in Newport, but not a lot have a finish line there. When I think about it now, I have maybe finished one or two offshore races in Newport ever. So when asked about what a hometown finish will feel like – I’m not too sure really. Not to mention the fact that it is the finish to a leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. Something I have dreamed of sailing in since watching Team Tyco training off Newport in the old 60s.

This is now my 8th year and 3rd edition of being involved in the Volvo Ocean Race. To now be sailing into Newport under extremely tight racing conditions is both an honor and privilege to say the least. Us locals and the rest of the boys could not be more excited to be coming home to Newport. Hopefully we luck out with the weather and get a big turnout for the event.

Ian Walker (GBR), Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing:
The weather looks pretty clear ahead apart from several major stumbling blocks. We first must cross a decaying front that is likely to have no wind. This could mean the whole fleet compressing. Once we sail around another high pressure centered North of Bermuda, and manage the shift versus pressure conundrum of how close to cut the center, we are looking at an increasing likelihood of very little wind in the last hundred miles to Newport when anything could happen. What remains clear to me is that this will be a close finish, and any of the boats (and I include SCA if they don’t get trapped by expanding light winds behind) could still be in with a chance of winning this leg.

Track the fleet’s progress here.