Restructuring the home side
Things are moving in the Spanish Armada with a comprehensive reshuffle announced by the FNOB Sailing Team, its two Farr Imoca 60s becoming ‘trading partners’ for strategic and commercial reasons. W Hotels has now become Estrella Damm and vice versa, while the Bubi Sanso/Pachi Rivero pairing is reformed... aboard W Hotels, the former Estrella, previously known as Gitana Eighty...
Having trouble keeping up? Don’t panic, we’ve got the details below. If it’s a bit of a sport for hardcore fans to keep track of various crews and their renamed boats, the FNOB, organisers of the second Barcelona World Race, certainly added spice by swapping the complete IDs of the two most promising thoroughbreds in its own stable. And on top of it all, several subtle personnel changes have also been implemented, so maybe the best thing is to try first to paint a clearer picture...
Estrella Damm (2010 iteration) – Alex Pella and Pepe Ribes. Raced as W Hotels in the last Transat Jacques Vabre (finishing fifth), formerly Paprec-Virbac 2, winner of the first Barcelona World Race, designed by Farr and built by Southern Ocean Marine in New Zealand (launched February 2007).
W Hotels (2010 iteration) – Javier Bubi Sanso and Pachi Rivero. Raced by Pachi Rivero and Yves Parlier as Estrella Damm in the Jacques Vabre. Formerly Gitana Eighty, designed by Farr and also built by Southern Ocean Marine in New Zealand (launched July 2007). Former 2007 Barcelona World Race partners Bubi Sanso and Pachi Rivero are reunited after a period of uncertainty following Guillermo Altadill’s departure in October 2009, a hiatus that resulted in the temporary appointment of Parlier as Rivero’s co-skipper for the TJV. Sanso and Rivero, the vets: ‘We’ll have an edge, and no excuses...’
Having made the TJV podium with Mike Golding, Bubi Sanso is clearly among the top Spanish offshore sailors today and is thrilled about being back in the game with Pachi Rivero – as are their many fans, to be honest, given that the pair provided easily the best entertainment with their video conferences during the inaugural Barcelona World Race. As Bubi puts it, ‘Now we’re both very happy! Sailing-wise, Pachi and I have taken different paths over the past two years; we’ve learnt a lot and today we’re much better sailors than we were last time. We have everything it takes to make a good team.’
Bubi and Pachi, who sailed a remarkable race in 2007-8 despite an older-generation boat (Mutua Madrileña, the former Ecover 2), now have Loïck Peyron’s former Gitana Eighty – which led the last Vendée Globe for more than two weeks before dropping its rig. ‘We know each other so well,’ adds Bubi, ‘which gives us our edge, and of course this boat is exactly what I was praying to have some day. Obviously somebody up there has been listening to me [laughing]!
‘This time we have no excuses – it adds a bit of pressure, but we can handle pressure. We can push ourselves and the boat, and I know it’s going to be a lot of fun because we’ve always had a great time sailing together...’
In terms of modifications to the boat, the focus will be on rendering her more eco-friendly, notably fitting an electric motor. She was given a new mast when she was acquired by the FNOB and is already in great shape.
Sanso continues: ‘We don’t want to burn any fossil fuel at all and will try to get an Imoca Eco Certificate this summer. At that point we have another rather appropriate sponsor who may jump in, but for now I’ll remain discreet about that... What I can tell you is that whatever happens Pachi and myself will be on the starting line of the 2010 Barcelona World Race and aboard that boat... Fantastic, eh!’
Pella and Ribes, the newcomers: ‘We have what it takes’
Barcelona-born Alex Pella is obviously delighted by the emergence of a competitive Imoca squad in his native city, which is fast becoming one of Europe’s hotspots for round-the-world racing. Having scored a creditable fifth in the last Transat Jacques Vabre with co-skipper Pepe Ribes, Pella is today where everyone predicted he would end up when he first started showing his talent in the Mini class: scoring two consecutive podiums including a leg victory in both the 2003 and 2005 Transat 650.
‘We’re thrilled to have Estrella Damm with us right through to May 2011,’ says the ever jovial Catalan, who will share his cockpit with Volvo Race and America’s Cup expert Ribes. ‘We know we have a full schedule, alternating refits with races and training sessions, but it’s a fantastic opportunity and I believe that we now have what it takes...’
Having raced the same boat in the Istanbul Europa Race and the TJV, Alex has a clear idea of the changes he wants to make. ‘It was important for us to have Jean-Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall onboard with us during the Istanbul race because the proper handover really helped us to understand Virbac 2.
‘As far as modifications are concerned, well, first of all she will get a new Estrella Damm paint job but during the refit we’ll also fit a new mast, though I’m not sure yet if we’ll use it in the Barcelona Race. This time we have opted for a fixed spar to save weight, our main area of focus. We know that above 15kt true our speed is really good, but we tend to be a bit behind in the lighter stuff... The lighter mast will also help get some weight out of the bulb, and we’re also looking at a new interior layout.’
Asked whether or not they would keep the complex stern trim-tab arrangement, Alex was adamant: ‘We know it adds weight, but we completely believe in the benefits and so it’s staying. ‘And to be honest,’ he laughs, ‘I don’t see when we’d have the time to get rid of it and completely rebuild the boat’s stern...’
Jocelyn BleriotBelow: Pachi Rivero and Bubi Sanso and (inset) Mini Transat star Alex Pella and Pepe Ribes: these two Spanish Barcelona World Race pairings have the advantage of campaigning virtual sisterships, both Farr designs being built for Jean-Pierre Dick before the last Vendee Globe
