Update from the Helm
Leg 6, Finish
Wow. The only word that comes to mind.
The last couple days were so stressful that I completely forgot to give you my wrap-up. Sorry about that, but please understand…CAMPER was relentlessly breathing down our necks right to the very end – and they are a complete pain in the ass!!!!! And also please understand that I say that as a compliment with the highest regard for how they sailed this leg.
There are legs that are physically grueling. This was not one of those legs. But it certainly made up for it in the mentally grueling category. Tom Addis was really on top of his game this leg. I think he and I are working better together each leg, and it shows with confident placement on the race track, and certainly there’s faith in the team and the boat to win a type of race that is such a grind.
I can only equate what I am trying to say to an American football analogy. Some teams like to play shootout style games, trying to score a million points by throwing the ball all over the field to win. A pretty risky strategy, but when it works you sure look good. Other teams don’t mind playing defensive-minded games – they’re always close but you think you have the horses to win, the “keep it close to the vest” type games. We certainly played this last leg in the latter. Defensive when we could be, and rely on the boys and the boat to win the close game.
What is the drawback of this style? Well, by keeping it close we are clearly giving our friends, family and fans anxiety beyond belief. Some of the emails I get after legs are amazing. One said, “Please don’t continue racing like this as you almost gave my 77-year-old mother heart failure…who is a massive PUMA fan btw.” Another elegantly proclaimed, “Holy #%!@…what a great job. I am &^#$-ing speechless.” And, that was from a friend who is never speechless. Some friends claim they pray daily to wind gods such as Pele, others claim we have forced them to simply become religious in general terms. Finally, a common theme also appears to be the fact that the stress and strain we put on our friends has pushed many towards being alcoholics.
Quite an influence we appear to have, eh?
We are home for a bit. Back in the USA. It is meaningful to finish in to our home country in first. A short flight home now for a few days to watch my daughter play tennis, and actually be a dad, a husband and a friend to a shedding golden retriever. Then back at it next week with a renewed energy and a hopeful focus that we can keep this momentum rolling and make this race closer by the minute.
Confidence is a wonderful thing when you have it, but we all understand that it can be fleeting. Got to figure out how to bottle it. And continue to keep our fans on the edge of their seats.
Sorry, but its the only way we know how.
By: Ken Read, Skipper, PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG
PUMA’s Mar Mostro powered to the front of the fleet to lead the departure from Itajai, Brazil, for the start of Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. The PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG crew completed the in-port loop in 42 minutes, 32 seconds, heading out for the offshore portion of the leg about a half mile ahead of Team Telefónica. Next stop: Miami, Florida, USA. “Right now, we feel good about ourselves, and that says something. We’re as confident as you can be sailing in a fleet like this against such great sailors and great boats,” said skipper Ken Read. “I don’t want to jinx the fleet right now, but it looks like we could have really nice sailing. This is potentially the first leg of this race that anybody can say that. We might have some downwind sailing out of here, it looks like we might have some nice trade wind sailing, maybe some consistent wave patterns. I’ve probably just completely ruined it. But, I think everybody is really psyched to do some nice sailing.”
The Volvo Ocean Race is a long, around the world ailing competition that covers over 39,000 nautical miles in the span of 10 months. But ask Ken Read, skipper of PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG, and he’ll tell you that it’s really a series of 3 hour races all around the world.
PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG came in 4th Overall for Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race (Abu Dhabi to Sanya). The Mar Mostro team took what appeared to be a shot in the dark during the race and separated from the fleet during the race, but quickly rejoined the other teams after realizing the eastern option wasn’t providing optimal conditions. Says Skipper Ken Read:
The start of a new year sets off the usual lists of personal goals to accomplish, plans to reach them and processes to implement them. Go to the gym, achieve more at work, nurture relationships – many of these resolutions are shared by people the world over.
Go to the gym, achieve more at work, nurture relationships. Increase market reach, develop innovative marine propulsion solutions, build & develop customer relationships.