Yachting: Bannatyne welcome boost to Kiwi Ocean Race project

Stuart Bannatyne says Team New Zealand should do well. Photo / Greg Bowker

Team New Zealand's Volvo Ocean Race project has received a further injection of experience with the announcement Kiwi sailing legend Stuart Bannatyne is on board.

Bannatyne, a veteran of five Volvo campaigns, will be the watch captain aboard Camper for the 2011-12 race, spearheading the team alongside Australian skipper, and his old mate, Chris Nicholson.

But Team New Zealand will be hoping the partnership will be more successful than the last time they paired up in the 2005-06 race.

"Chris and I sailed together as watch captains on Movistar, which didn't end that well for us when the boat sank on the Atlantic," he laughed.

"But we've done a lot of miles together and have a lot of respect for each other and we're good friends too, so that should help."

Bannatyne is just one of three sailors to have won the famous race three times, and hot property in the world of ocean racing. But when Emirates Team New Zealand first announced their intentions of launching a Volvo campaign it was thought Swiss syndicate Alinghi had already nabbed Bannatyne.

The 39-year-old admits he had been in talks with Alinghi, but said the idea of being based in New Zealand appealed to him more.

Alinghi are yet to make any announcement over their future and while it is getting late in the piece to get a Volvo campaign up and running, Bannatyne believes the Swiss are still a chance of challenging.

"I hope they do [launch a campaign], at the moment they're dependent on funding is my understanding," said Bannatyne.

Bannatyne, the watch captain aboard winners Ericsson 4 in the last Volvo Ocean Race, believes despite their late start, Team New Zealand are still well-placed to launch a strong challenge for the 2011-12 race.

"Team New Zealand has a strong history of doing well in yachting events, and New Zealanders have been involved in winning Volvo campaigns in the past, so it's really good Team New Zealand has put a team in and obviously we've got a good bunch of Kiwis involved in the sailing team, and the shore team and designers and with the infrastructure Team New Zealand already has in place, it should be a very strong programme."

"We're a little bit behind the eight-ball in terms of starting compared to some of the other teams, but obviously our goal is to be on the startline with a shot at winning the race."

As well as five circumnavigations Bannatyne has competed on the Grand Prix regatta circuit for 15 years, winning numerous inshore championships and ocean races. He has also sailed seven Fastnet races, six Sydney-Hobart and two Transpac races.

WINNING INSTINCT
Stuart Bannatyne Volvo Ocean Race history
* 1993-93 NZ Endeavour - 1st
* 1997-98 Silk Cut - 5th
* 2001-02 Illbruck - 1st
* 2005-06 Movistar - DNF
* 2008-09 Ericsson 4 - 1st