News    All legsAROUND SPAINLeg 0Leg 1Leg 2Leg 3Leg 4Leg 5Leg 6Leg 7Leg 8Leg 9Leg Galway    Show 102050

By Diego Fructuoso

Here we are, still in Marina Rubicón (Lanzarote), the wind behind us, full sails ahead. As I imagine many of you already know, the competition we are facing is one of the most gruelling around. As such, we must be as well prepared for it as we can.

That is why Team Telefónica has made sure that we have a fitness trainer (the tireless Yiyo Losada), the doctor Antonio Zoido working with us here in Lanzarote, a physiotherapist, etc. We'll be in better shape and we will perform better, which is what really matters.

This week we have been putting some safety procedures into practice, having been taking some safety at sea courses, where we have been learning about or brushing- up on things like: how to use life-rafts, what to do in a rescue situation, how to use the beacons etc.

It is also important to know what to do if one of the crew is hurt and we must tend to them. For that part of the course we were led by Doctor Antonio Zoido, a doctor with lots of experience in this type of regatta (in the previous edition he worked with the winning team).

For the first few days we looked at the drill: what to do when we see an accident, we learnt how to stitch and how to put a line in, etc. But it didn't finish there... another day we set out to sea to simulate an accident. I was chosen to be the victim and I must say that I felt very well taken care of by my fellow crewmembers.

I hope we'll never have to use these skills, but if we do, it's best to be as well-prepared as possible!

The week has really flown past here. We are really happy to be in Lanzarote, although we haven't got long left here now. At the end of the month we will be leaving this beautiful island and heading for Sanxenxo on the northern Spanish coast in Galicia (another natural paradise). We're also treated very well indeed in Galicia. Conditions are great there and the food is wonderful!

We spend a lot of time at the base, sailing, working out and working with the shore crew, of course. It's not all about work though! We all need a rest from time to time, and what better than a bit of 'team-building' at the debut of the team's band 'The Albondi-gas'. I think we've got the regatta's best band on our hands!

The members are Stew (sailmaker, on drums), Matt (sailmaker, on the guitar) and Lotta (our beautiful lead singer), she is Joca's wife, who is one of our Watch Captains.

We also had a surprise: Johan, our data analyst stepped up onto the stage to improvise a couple of numbers... Great!

The gig took place at Bar ONE at the Marina Rubicón. It's the bar we have lunch and dinner at every day. We'd like to thank them for their patience and their efforts with all of us. Claudia, Jose, María, Irene, Raúl, Ives… You all look after us so well!

Warm regards to you all, and I'll be back soon to tell you more…

Diego Fructuoso

MCM