The Ocean Race: Guyot on the verge of a comeback - "To really attack again"

The break of several weeks with his family in Berlin has done Team Guyot's co-skipper Robert Stanjek some good. Since the weekend, the 41-year-old has been back with his team, which is preparing for the start of the fourth of seven legs in the Ocean Race in the Brazilian stage harbour of Itajaí. After the serious setback on the queen's stage, Guyot Environnement - Team Europe is determined to use its comeback in the Ocean Race to achieve better results than before.

Robert Stanjek: "The repair is rock solid"

The French-German team only managed two fifth places in its Ocean Race premiere after three stages. Then came the technical knockout blow on the queen's stage. Skipper Benjamin Dutreux, Robert Stanjek, navigator Sébastien Simon and Annie Lush had to abandon the longest and most important leg of the round-the-world race with serious hull damage and return to Cape Town without a result. Repairs were carried out there before "Guyot" was successfully ferried to Itajaí. The team will now return to the Ocean Race on 23 April.

"The repair is rock solid," said Robert Stanjek in a press release issued by his team in the countdown to the start of the fourth leg. He continued: "I don't see any danger of the boat breaking. However, we have to realise that we can't push our older design any harder than the competition can push their boats of the latest generation. But the other teams also have to carry their own baggage. With the exception of Kevin Escoffier's Team Holcim, they all came out of the Southern Ocean leg with handicaps that they had to rectify here in Itajaí."

I'm proud of how the team recovered from the low blow on stage three." (Jens Kuphal)

Stanjek's team is in last place in the Ocean Race fleet with just two points after two fifth places in legs one and two. Now the tide is set to turn. "I'm really looking forward to getting back into the race. We want to achieve a few more positive results. If we remain patient and are there when the opportunities arise, then we will succeed," hopes Stanjek.

Team manager Jens Kuphal is also with the team this week. After the cancelled third leg, the Berliner is celebrating the Ocean Race reunion with his team. Kuphal said: "I'm delighted that we've all come together again in Itajaí. There are still five races to go. I'm proud of how the team has recovered from the low blow in the third leg."

Fine tuning for foils and rudder blades

Kuphal gave an insight into the work of the last few weeks and said: "It was a great achievement by the shore crew to repair the hull of the yacht in such a short time. The time in Brazil could now even be used to fine-tune the foils and rudder blades. There hadn't been enough time for this in the preparation and between the legs. The entire team has also recharged its batteries. We want to really attack again."

The team is determined to attack with its back to the wall. Focusing on its own strengths should be the key to success. "We haven't yet got the maximum out of the team," says Robert Stanjek, referring to the original idea of turning the combination of very different qualities in Team Guyot into a formula for success. "We need to utilise these qualities even more," demands Stanjek.

Better risk management required at sea

Robert Stanjek looks back on the missed opportunity on leg two with a sense of melancholy. Team Guyot was the first boat to cross the equator, but then chose a risky course too far away from the competition - and lost everything. Stanjek's demand: "The voice on risk management must be given more weight. We have already improved communication. The cooperation at the start of the third leg was very good until the hull damage unfortunately took us out of the race. We want to build on this co-operation. That's why we've also decided to use the same crew constellation again for the fourth leg."

This means that on the 5,500 nautical mile section from Itajaí up the Atlantic to the smart American sailing harbour of Newport, the quartet that started the royal leg so well before the "Guyot" hull gave way will be attacking again: In addition to the two French Vendée Globe sailors Benjamin Dutreux and Sébastien Simon, the experienced Brit Annie Lush is in action on her third circumnavigation. Robert Stanjek, Starboat Olympic sixth-placed in 2012, is the tactician and strong man on the grinder.

Further crew rotations planned for the European final

Stanjek's motivation could hardly be greater after the shattered dream of the Ocean Race royal stage: "The points gap to the other teams worries us. We want to deliver now. If we show a stable performance, then it will pay off." The crew will continue to rotate on the remaining stages back across the Atlantic to Europe and in European waters.

Phillip Kasüske will come on board for Robert Stanjek on the Atlantic leg from Newport to the Danish sailing metropolis of Århus. On the two European legs from Århus via Kiel to The Hague and from there to the Italian Ocean Race finish port of Genoa, the constellation that won the first edition of The Ocean Race Europe in 2021 will be active. Two years ago, Robert Stanjek, Phillip Kasüske, Annie Lush and Benjamin Dutreux left the entire foiling competition behind them with a non-foiling Imoca and won the race premiere. They are now dreaming of such a feat again in their comeback in the Ocean Race final.

That's how hopeful the Guyot Environnement - Team Europe was when they arrived in the Brazilian harbour after the transfer. Since then, the boat and the team have been getting ready for the comeback:

After the start of the fourth stage on 23 April, click here for live tracking and the intermediate results.