SAILING OCEAN RACE
IRELAND’S SECOND entry into October’s Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) is sinking before it leaves the dock, and a lack of sponsorship is to blame, according to its skipper, 2007 Fastnet race-winner Ger O’Rourke.
The Limerick sailor confounded pundits when news of the last-minute bid broke in this column on May 30th.
After a gap of 20 years since Ireland last had an entry, the news that the tiny west coast sailing community was fielding two of the seven teams in the 2008/09 race – at an estimated cost of €16 million – was not only the biggest investment ever seen in Irish sailing but a global sports story to boot.
O’Rourke was immediately cast as underdog when he dared to square up to round-the-world campaigns spending as much as €40 million.
Although Ireland’s Green Dragon team expected to meet stiff competition in its nine-month voyage round the world, it certainly did not expect it from its back yard.
And now it appears it may not. In a round-robin email sent yesterday, O’Rourke admits the project needs a “lifeline”. He is €2 million short on a €4 million budget, and cannot proceed on his own.
A decision on the future of the campaign will be made in a week, and O’Rourke concludes that last-ditch efforts for sponsorship will be made up to next Friday. But he warns that the state of the capital markets means “it’s not looking good”.
The 2006 Sydney-Hobart class-winner bought the old ABN/Amro 1-winning boat from the 2005/06 race, and spent the last two months bringing it up to 2008 standard. The boat wiped the eye of the rest of the fleet in that race, and O’Rourke was quick to realise that, even after all the development work carried out by teams over the past two years, it remained the design benchmark for all new designs entered in the current race.
But having missed the Round Ireland race in July after a high-profile exit, when the boat was holed in harbour, the campaign started to take on water when it did not attract sponsorship.
The boat, now in Limerick docks completing a refit, has undergone costly modifications to bring it up to the required VOR Version 2 rule, including rewiring electronics, fairing and deck work, plus new engines and a modified keel.
To his credit, substantial work has been completed from a standing start, including the assembly of a professional crew who have agreed to put their salaries into the campaign, resulting in what O’Rourke says is the lowest-cost VOR project with a reasonable chance to make its mark.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s Green Dragon team continue its preparations towards October’s start. Skipper Ian Walker hopes to include a Chinese member in the crew, and he has outlined what he is looking for in the candidate.
“We would like to see Chinese sailors who are competing at this summer’s Olympics applying, along with former members of the China Team AC syndicate,” he said.
Walker does not preclude any sailor who is not already established from applying for the position if they feel they have what it takes, but they must be over 90kg and be able to speak English. Up to five Chinese crew may be carried.
The team leave at the end of next month for Alicante. They have given the nod to a place on the podium, which is a big promise from a brand new boat and a brand new crew.
