credit : María Muiña/Team Telefónica
"It took nine months to build her, so everyone is really looking forward to get out there and sail to see how everything is working,” said Martínez. Since her unveiling in the Valencian boatyard, Telefónica’s new Volvo Open 70 has spent the last 20 days preparing and testing in Alicante.
“We've done some sailing this week here and it’s a great place to carry out the first test sails," said the skipper. "We have been very careful not to break anything, looking at what was working and what wasn’t.”
The double Olympic medallist and Olympic champion also grabbed second position in the Barcelona World Race a few weeks ago, but is now looking forward to some more offshore sailing. “We are now going to do some ocean sailing to reach the Canary Islands. It’s a pretty serious matter. The training begins. Here we go!"
“We are going to try to break everything there is to break. That may sound crazy, but it makes things easier when racing. It will also help us to learn about the boat and how to sail her in tough and medium conditions.”
"Our objectives are to test the boat, to push her and to attempt the 2000-mile qualifer,” added trimmer Xabi Fernández. “We will try to use the maximum number of sails and we will test the mast and the boat itself.
“Leaving the Mediterranean Sea, we will head towards the Atlantic and I'm sure we'll get some tough conditions. We need to get to know the boat. It’s the first time for most of us to sail a Juan K design. We are really looking forward to it – especially after seeing their performances during previous races.”
From Volvo Ocean race
