MainSail
SHOW #43
Barcelona
Two sailors on board a 60 foot yacht for 3 months non-stop. This is the unique proposition for 9 teams in the new Barcelona World Race. It’s the first time a round-the-world-event has been held for double-handed crews, who vary from a husband and wife couple to a pairing who are almost complete strangers. How will they get on, just one-on-one in a small, cramped space? Will tempers flare as the pressure grows? Will the psychological battle be the most important one these crews have to win?
MainSail presenter, Shirley Robertson, goes sailing with one of the more unlikely pairings in the Barcelona World Race, Guillermo Altadill, of Spain and Jonathan McKee of the U.S. The partnership of the fiery Latin and calm American is one that everyone is watching. Robertson goes on board their state of the art IMOCA Open 60 yacht to hear how they plan to handle their race.
Solo round-the-world record holder Ellen MacArthur is one of the driving forces behind the creation of this new event. She talks to MainSail about why she wanted to create a two-hander round the world race and how different it will be from her specialty, sailing alone.
MainSail looks at some of the other partnerships in this race, from the experienced married couple, Dominique Wavre and Michele Paret, to friends of 30 years, Roland Jourdain and Jean-Luc Nelias, and a duo who have never raced together before, Britain’s Alex Thomson and Australia’s Andrew Cape, on board Hugo Boss.
MainSail looks at the IMOCA Open 60 yachts which will be home to these sailors for 3 months. Shirley Robertson ventures inside the dark, cramped cabin space to talk to renowned offshore sailor, Sidney Gavignet, co-skipper of Delta Dore, about living conditions on board. Most of the boats are new generation, employing the latest in technology and design. The temptation when sailing these fast boats double-handed instead of solo, is to push much harder. Finishing the race with the boat intact will be one of the keys to success.
NEWS
Including the latest on the America’s Cup debate and the finish of the Transat Jacques Vabre.
The nine yachts in the Barcelona World Race set off on their journey, accompanied by a huge spectator fleet. This continues the city’s quest to open itself more to the sea. Spain now hosts the America’s Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race and this is an impressive new addition. MainSail follows the progress of the yachts as they make their way down to the Southern Ocean at the bottom of the world, with onboard cameras capturing all the action and drama as they go.
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