Credit : Momentum
“We know it’s going to be a very hard race so we have to prepare for the worst. We have to be at 100 per cent because if not it will be impossible to put up a fight.”
Supporters of the team put their questions to media crew member Diego Fructuoso in Madrid and to Martinez through a live link-up in Lanzarote via Team Telefónica’s Facebook app on the official Movistar Facebook page, where the interview was also broadcast.
The event was hosted from the Telefónica flagship store in Madrid, with Mario Picazo, Spanish TV presenter and meteorologist, putting the questions to the two team members.
Martinez gave fans an update on the team’s training in the Canary Islands.
“We have come to Lanzarote for one part of the training, and we will be moving to Galicia and then Alicante,” he said. “We think this training is important to be able to face a race that we know will be very tough and to be able to sail any ocean or sea and perform.”
He added: “We know it’s going to be a very hard race so we have to prepare for the worst. We have to be at 100 per cent because if not it will be impossible to put up a fight.” Iker emphasised on the importance of training when going up against such expert teams.
“There are very strong teams this race. If we didn’t train, we wouldn’t be able to opt to winning. The rivals are very competitive.
“On one hand we have Groupama, the strongest French team in sailing and that hold the world record. Puma is made up of a lot of the crew from winning Ericsson 4 last race and has been a strong team. “CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand, is a very structured team with good sailors from the America’s Cup with plenty of experience for a round the world race. And then there is Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing with Ian Walker who has sailed the last round the world race.”
Fructuoso answered questions from fans eager to know the ins and outs of the round the world race, from technical questions about safety, meteorology, boat building and gear, to questions about life onboard, family, nutrition, hygiene and music. One of the recurring questions was how the team would compare to the competition.
“It’s hard to know where you stand against other teams in sailing,” he said. “The only way to know is to test with other boats. “But the Volvo Ocean Race does not allow two-boat testing in this edition,” Fructuoso explained. “We think we are doing well, but we don’t know how the rest is doing. “Groupama has been training a lot. Although any of the five teams with brand new yachts could be good competitors. “Team Sanya is using a Volvo Open 70 from the last edition, so they might not be as competitive. But you never know, at the end it’s the boat, the sea and the wind, and the best will win.”
For this edition of the race, the official Volvo Ocean Race YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/volvooceanracevideos) will transmit multiple live broadcasts throughout the race, allowing fans across the world to tune into the action like never before.
From : Volvo Ocean Race
