Ericsson Racing names Navigator for next year’s Volvo Race
By David Schmidt
Following Ericsson Racing Team’s recent news that sailing-great Torben Grael will skipper the team’s internationally-crewed “A” boat, the team recently announced that Englishman Jules Salter will navigate for Grael in the 2008/2009 event.
“Ericsson has a great team. They are well organized, and we now have a year to bring the team together,” says Salter. “I have not sailed with these guys before, but I’m really looking forward to it. Torben is one of the greatest sailors in the world, and his performance was impressive in the last Volvo Ocean Race. I much rather sail with him than against him.”
Salter’s resume includes navigating in the 2005/2006 Volvo for Paul Cayard and the Pirates of the Caribbean, which scored second place overall. Salter was also the navigator on England’s GBR Challenge in the 2003 America’s Cup, and brings with him a wealth of knowledge about racecourse meteorology, instrument systems, and racing software.
Ericsson Racing Team is currently the only team that plans to race two boats in next year’s Volvo Race, and they are certainly one of the best prepared, having already sponsored a boat in the 2005/2006 Volvo Ocean Race. In addition to naming Grael and Salter, Ericsson Racing Team has also named Stu Bannatyne and Brad Jackson (both from New Zealand) as watch captains for the internationally-crewed boat. Both of Ericsson Team Racing’s boats will be built by Killian Bushe, whose facility is situated near Ericsson’s headquarters in Kista, Stockholm. While the race is still more than 11 months from starting, there is no doubt that Ericsson Team Racing is pushing the bell curve of preparedness for next year’s event.
Posted: November 1, 2007
