Like YACHT online reported on Wednesday a blog entry by on-board reporter Corinna Halloran, in which crew member Annie Lush sharply criticised the attitude of the women's team, was deleted shortly after publication.
Now both names, Halloran and Lush, are missing from the crew list for the seventh leg from Newport to Lisbon. A connection with the apparently unwanted coverage is not given, the team's explanation states that the changes are part of a normal rotation of team members.
In fact, Team SCA regularly changes crew members. With skipper Sam Davies, the sailing team consists of 13 women, eleven of whom sail each leg, plus two on-board reporters, one of whom is on board. That makes twelve crew members, three more than the men.
So far, however, only one or two positions have been swapped. On-board reporter Halloran has already had to take a break on the fourth and fifth legs, which means that only one member of the sailing team had to stay ashore on each of these sections.
Now, for the first time, there are three crew members: Halloran, Annie Lush and Stacey Jackson. Both were previously part of the hard core of five crew members who, alongside skipper Sam Davies, have not yet been replaced. The 35-year-old Briton Lush was a three-time match race world champion.
There have also been crew changes for other teams, although these can be seen as significant reinforcements. For example, second-placed Dongfeng Race Team signed Sidney Gavignet, one of the best French offshore sailors, for the Atlantic leg, a clear challenge to the leading team Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. Third-placed Team Brunel hired New Zealander Adam Minoprio, formerly the youngest match race world champion and, among other things, helmsman for the runner-up in the previous Volvo edition.
The In-Port Race starts on Saturday, 16 May at 20:00 (18:00 UTC), the seventh stage on Sunday, also at 20:00
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
