(31 August 2006, Valencia) A further three sailors
that took part in the Volvo Ocean Race have joined Victory Challenge:
- Andy Meiklejohn from Brasil 1.
- Richard Mason from Ericsson
Racing Team.
- Anthony Merrington, who was a
member of Victory Challenge during the pre-regattas in 2005, has returned
after sailing with Pirates of the Caribbean.
“All three well fulfil the criteria we have had for the
continued team recruitment. They are solid sailors who also contribute
specialist knowledge to the development of rigging, sails or the boat.
“Andy is a mast specialist, Richard
was boat captain with Ericsson – which he will also be with us. It’s also
great that Anthony is back, that the Volvo Ocean Race was a parenthesis
which means that he can bring further experience to the team,” says Magnus
Holmberg, skipper and helmsman.
For the three Volvo Ocean Race
sailors it was the second time they participated in round the world sailing.
- New
Zealander Andy Meiklejohn, 30, has been recruited as midbowman and rigger.
He sailed with Brasil 1 in the last Volvo Ocean Race, and was rigger on
shore with Team News Corp in the one prior to that. He was part of the
team that won the round the world race, Oryx Quest 2005.
-
Australian Richard Mason, 32, who grew up in New Zealand but lives in
Sweden, is one of the most experienced off-shore sailors in the world for
his age. He sailed with Ericsson Racing Team in the last Volvo Ocean Race,
and with ASSA ABLOY in the one prior to that. He will be a floater with
Victory Challenge and captain of one of the two America’s Cup boats in the
two-boat training which will soon begin.
-
Australian Anthony Merrington, 33, will also be a floater. He is, just
like Richard Mason, one of the most experienced off-shore sailors. He last
sailed with Pirates of the Caribbean and, prior to that, with Team SEB in
the Volvo Ocean Race. For him it is a return to Victory Challenge; he was
in every pre-regatta in the 32nd America’s Cup during 2005.
In total, this means that eight of those who have
recently completed the Volvo Ocean Race have reinforced Victory
Challenge’s sailing team ahead of the two-boat training. The other five
are the ABN AMRO sailors, David Endean, Tony Mutter, Andrew Lewis, Simon
Fisher and Luke Molloy.
With the two-boat training the next phase begins for
the team, ahead of next year’s final pre-regattas of the 32nd America’s
Cup and the challengers’ series itself, the Louis Vuitton Cup. It is then
that it will finally be decided which of the eleven challengers will meet
the defender, Alinghi, in the America’s Cup final.
Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 13 takes place between 3 and
7 April, the Louis Vuitton Cup between 16 April and 12 June. The America’s
Cup Match begins on 23 June.