Yachting: Winner backs changes to race

VALENCIA - Three-time round-the-world yacht race winner Mark Christensen believes the changes announced by organisers are essential for the race's survival.

Christensen, in Valencia visiting his brother Craig, who is in charge of the BMW Oracle Racing fleet of tenders and chase boats, was on ABN Amro One, winners of the last race which finished in Gothenburg just over two weeks ago.

It was Christensen's fourth (and, he says, last) race and his third successive victory, having sailed with EF Language in 1998 and the Illbruck campaign in 2002.

With much speculation over the future of the race, organisers have been quick to announce a series of changes to the event which is scheduled to start in Alicante, Spain, in 2008 and likely to include lucrative stopovers in Asia, the Middle East and the west coast of the United States.

"It has to be a fairly global company to sponsor one of these teams and to go and say 50 per cent of the ports are in South Africa, Australia. While we all love going there, it is hardly 50 per cent of their market.

"Unfortunately, that commercial side is taking over. But it has to happen. You'd much rather have a race that continues than a race that stands on its history and dies."

Relaxing in Oracle's swish base in Valencia, Christensen has only fond memories of the last race, which his team won in convincing fashion.

"I was pretty confident of our buildup, I felt we were doing the right things from the beginning, but you never know until you line up with the other boats."

Christensen joined the team in December 2004, when his main role was liaising between the sailors and designer Juan Kouyoumdjian.

"The first time I met with Juan I told him we needed a reaching boat. I left telling him we shouldn't have as much of a reaching boat as he had designed."

The result was a wide-bottomed boat that no one could match.

Some teams had problems with the new 70ft canting keel boats, but Christensen loved them. Not that they didn't have their moments.

"I had one night watch - it was probably the first time where I have been driving a boat where I have felt ... like I had no control over what was going to happen.

"The other time was going into England one night. We had 52 knots running, but fortunately we were 100 miles in front and had nothing to gain from pushing, so backed off."

Christensen is keen to have a break from sailing.

"I have been offered a job with a company in the US ... I can't imagine sailing again."