Skipper David Witt
"Sunday will be strange for me because it will be the first time in twelve years that I have taken off without it." That is what David Witt said in the press conference before today's start of the eighth stage in memory of John Fisher. In moving words, the Australian skipper of the Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag team described how he and his team have experienced the past few weeks and what is driving the team now. John Fisher, who went overboard in a storm on March 26 in the Southern Ocean and was lost, was a person who always took care of others first.
Skipper David Witt dealt with the consequences of the fatal accident of John Fisher and did not make it easy for himself
David Witt continued: "We have an ethos among us 'Scallywags' that we try to follow. We never give up and take care of each other. We don't have to be the best, but we do it together. Probably the most important quality in ours Team is loyalty. Above all, that describes John Fisher. " David Witt thanked him for the encouragement over the past few weeks: "The support that we received within the Volvo family was unique. It takes special people to compete in this race. Whether you are the skipper or a crew member I think the character of the people who take part in this race was illustrated by the way we were supported by the other participants over the past week. reached the dock it was very moving. This wasn't a PR show, it was a likeness of the characters in this race. I'm sure John would have been very proud of that. The best we can do to remember him is carry on to do our job on Sunday. If he was behind me now, he would say to me: 'Now pull yourself together, be' not so soft and go on! '"
David Witt speaks about the fatal accident in the Southern Ocean, the death of his best friend, the responsibility of a skipper and the wave of helpfulness within the Volvo Ocean Race family
Regarding the responsibility of a skipper in the Volvo Ocean Race, Witt said: "The word responsibility is an understatement. I lost a crew member and my best friend. This is something that will be with me for the rest of my life." Witt described the unfortunate processes during the fatal accident with a picture: "It's like buying a Swiss cheese and suddenly all the holes are lined up. A lot of things have to go wrong at the same time … What we do involves risks. We have to deal with it. Unfortunately, the worst scenario has happened this time."
Back in action: the Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag team in Itajaí
One day before the start of the eighth stage, the Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag team was able to get their boat back on the water - also thanks to a wave of helpfulness from other teams. Skipper David Witt and his team want to contest the remaining four stages of the Volvo Ocean Race for John Fisher
The other skippers also commented on the fatal accident at the press conference before the eighth stage will take them from Itajaí over 5700 nautical miles to the American port of Newport on Sunday. Team Brunel's skipper Bouwe Bekking said: "As a skipper you have this feeling of this very special responsibility. The whole stage went like this: When I woke up, I thought of John. When I went on deck, I thought of John. That feels very good deep."
Team Brunel's skipper Bouwe Bekking: "The loss of John Fisher runs deep."
About the recently strongly increasing performance curve of his team with outstanding individual players such as Olympic champion and America's Cup winner Peter Burling, Bekking said: "I can certainly say that it is not helpful to start so late (with a campaign, d. Ed.). You can have the best sailors in the world, the best sailors in the world on your team, all of them winners, but it takes a long time to reach the top level everywhere. But we're looking ahead. There are still quite a few points on the table. We look up! " Team Brunel had registered as the last campaign for the current 13th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race.
Charles Caudrelier, skipper of the Dongfeng Race Team, which leads seven stages, said: "Of course the pressure has increased. We have never been in such a good position. But there is only one point between us and Mapfre. And I have seen that change Every point is hard to earn. It will be hard until the end. There are four difficult stages ahead, one of them with double the points. This is far from over. And I know that."
Dongfeng skipper Charles Caudrelier
Vestas 11th Hour Racing Skipper Charlie Enright wants to get his team back on track in the eighth stage after the dramatic accidents and setbacks of the past few months
Vestas skipper Charlie Enright, whose team suffered the second serious setback when the mast broke near the Falkland Islands after the fatal crash with a Chinese fishing boat off Hong Kong, said: "These last three stages have put us in a very frustrating situation. This is particularly frustrating because: When we sail, we do it very well. We just didn't have the opportunity to sail enough."
Here you can find the results and intermediate results, here you can see the live broadcast, which starts today (Sunday) shortly before 7 p.m.