Cory Silken / Team SCA
Sam Davies is walking down the dock in Newport when a group of three school girls come running up seeking her autograph. Team SCA just sailed across the Atlantic but Davies obliges willingly, much to the girls' delight. “My daughter is a huge fan of Sam’s,” says one father. “She has posters of her on her walls.”
The Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 made its first official stop in Newport, Rhode Island, on Wednesday evening when Team SCA, the all-female crew, glided into town.
Family, friends and race fans were on shore and on the water, cheering on the crew that had just completed a 13-day passage from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands.
“It’s an impressive welcome, especially because it’s just a training leg, not a race leg,” said Sam Davies, the Person in Charge. “We have a few Americans onboard and we knew their families were going to be here. And because Newport is part of the race it’s pretty nice to have the first Volvo Ocean 65 in town.”
“It was cool watching the stealthy silhouette coming in,” said Quintin Ciszek, the 31-year-old brother of crewmember Sophie. “I’ve only known this campaign through photos and blogs, but this is very impressive. The gravity of what they’re preparing for hits home when you see it all.”
Newport will host the sixth stopover of the race in approximately one year, but last night the emphasis was on the milestone reached by Team SCA – a successful offshore passage free from the coaches supervision that has accelerated the crew’s learning curve.
“This was a big milestone for our team and the boat,” said navigator Carolijn Brouwer, a three-time Olympian for the Netherlands and Belgium. “The boat held up well, we had all types of different conditions, and the crew held really well. It was our first time out for a relatively long period of time on our own. Team spirit was high and everyone was focused and determined.”
Brouwer’s expertise in smaller dinghies earned her the 1998 ISAF World Sailor of the Year award for an outstanding year that saw her dominate many international regattas. As navigator for Team SCA she feels she opens a new book every day.
“Ocean racing is sailing but a completely different discipline,” said Brouwer. “It’s a bit comparable to ask someone who runs the 100 metres to suddenly run a marathon or 10k. That’s what you’re comparing it with: small, intense, micro-local sailing with out in the big ocean and working the big picture.
“It’s a huge learning curve, I'm enjoying it. Doing dinghy sailing and having the background and tactical side of things helps a bit.”
For team helmsperson Sally Barkow, another past Olympian, she relished the opportunity to get offshore, lay down some miles and get some crew bonding.
“It was pretty awesome – full on at moments and relaxing at others, and really focused,” said Barkow. “For me it was just being out there and putting in the hours and miles. I was surprised how fluid it was. And how nice to get into rhythm and stay focused. Really good, easy to drop into rhythm.”
Organising host Sail Newport blitzed the local fan base with an email and text campaign that kept everyone aware of the impending arrival.
“It’s great to see on a chilly May night nearly 200 people out here cheering them on,” said Brad Read, the Executive Director of Sail Newport. “As a venue, Newport will always sell out for the totally engaged sailor, and the state is being incredibly supportive.”
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