Probably strong on the short distances, but no winning team
This boat will look Spanish to some - and rightly so: apart from the Swedish navigator Roger Nilson (right), only two other crew members are not from the Iberian Peninsula. That was a condition of the sponsor. This will be Nilson's eighth circumnavigation of the world; he already took part in 1982 on "Alaska Eagle" and most recently in 2002 on "Amer Sports One". Skipper Fernando Echavarri (l.) is relatively inexperienced on the high seas, having last shone as a gold medallist in the Tornado in China. He also brought his classmate and bronze medallist Santiago Lange on board. The VO 70 is said to be identical in construction to the "Blue" boat.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
