Akzonobel Set a New Race Record When the Crew Covered 602 Miles Through the North Atlantic in 24 Hours. Navigator Jules Salter Tells Justin Chisholm How They Did It
Ten years ago, in the stormy South Atlantic en route to Cape Town from Alicante, the VO70 Ericsson 4 hitched a breakneck ride on a fast-moving low-pressure system to set a 24-hour record distance for the round the world race.
On that opening leg of the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race the Ericsson 4 crew, led by Brazilian skipper Torben Grael and guided by British navigator Jules Salter, touched speeds of 30-plus knots and clocked up 593.23 miles – tantalizingly close to the 600-mile threshold – before being forced to slow after a rudder strike threatened to sink the boat.
Ericsson 4’s record remained intact during the next edition. Then when the smaller and ostensibly slower VO65 class was introduced for 2015, many believed that remarkable run was unlikely to ever be bettered.
Fast-forward to May 2018. This time in the North Atlantic, on Leg 9 from Newport to Cardiff, as a nine-strong crew on the AkzoNobel VO65 put in a rampaging 24-hour run that shattered the Ericsson 4 record and established a new benchmark distance of 602.51 miles.
The man at the nav station on board the Dutch-flagged boat this year was once again Jules Salter. How did it feel to break his own record after ten years?
“It’s not a very nice feeling when someone breaks your record. So it’s pleasing to get the chance to be the one doing it. This transatlantic leg is a real favourite of mine as it’s one of the oldest sea routes in the world and generally you know you are in for some fast sailing. There was quite a lot of anticipation and I knew everyone on board was really up for it.
This story is from the August 2018 edition of Yachting World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 2018 edition of Yachting World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
5 EXPERT TIPS BOB BEGGS ON SAILING IN COLD WEATHER
As temperatures drop, Andy Rice gets tips on how to handle the cold from self-confessed Arctic weather fan and winning Clipper Round the World Race skipper Bob Beggs
SPECIAL REPORT EXTENDED CRUISING IN THE BALTIC
Sweden offers cruisers a warm welcome for winter - Janneke Kuysters has advice on how to boost your sailing time in the region
NIKKI HENDERSON
SEARCHING FOR MORE SPEED? BEFORE TINKERING WITH TINY ADJUSTMENTS, MAKE SURE YOU'VE GOT THE BASICS RIGHT THE POWER DRIVING THE BOAT
MATTHEW SHEAHAN
WHAT WILL THE BOATS OF THE 38TH AMERICA'S CUP LOOK LIKE? THAT'S THE $20 MILLION QUESTION IF BRITAIN OR NEW ZEALAND DECIDE TO DEPART FROM THE AC75
60-knot squalls hit Middle Sea Race
The 45th running of the Mediterranean offshore, the Rolex Middle Sea Race, saw a spectacularly random mix of conditions - even for a race which is famed for its variable weather patterns.
Italy win first Women's Cup
The first ever Women's America's Cup was won by Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli after a single, twoboat shoot-out final on 12 October.
'Three-peat' for ETNZ
As Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand came into this year's 37th America's Cup as clear favourites. But the Kiwi camp has far more than just the structural advantage of being the ones that wrote the Protocol for the competition, and the originators of the AC75 concept.
ROOM WITH A VIEW
SWEDISH DESIGNER GABRIEL HEYMAN POURED A LIFETIME OF IDEAS INTO THIS PILOT SALOON CRUISER, WHICH INCLUDES ARGUABLY THE LARGEST COCKPIT AVAILABLE AT THIS SIZE
LIVING HISTORY
THE ICONIC SEASON-CLOSING REGATTA LES VOILES DE SAINT TROPEZ WAS AN IMMERSIVE HISTORY LESSON FOR CROSBIE LORIMER
CHANGE OF PLAN
LEAVING AUSTRALIA, MARIANNE URTH NEVER PLANNED TO MAKE LANDFALL IN THE ISLANDS OF VANUATU, BUT THE EXPERIENCE WAS MAGICAL
