At the beginning of the month we brought you the story of Team SCA, the first all woman team to compete in the Volvo Ocean Race in over a decade.
Today we have our first update and it couldn’t be better news for Team SCA; they are sitting in pole position! Yes, that’s right, these women are sitting firmly on the pole. Get your mind out of the gutter; this is all about the rudder.
British skipper Sam Davies talks about Team SCA’s competitors: “I think that I am speaking for all of us in Team SCA when I say that once we are out there, we will just be one among several competing teams, and will race the best way we can. I often get questions about what is different on our boat? From my perspective, we do not treat this race any differently than the other teams, and we are not treated any differently, either. The Race organizer has changed the rules so that we can have three more crew members, three pairs of extra hands. That will help, of course. At the same time, when it is time to hoist and lower heavy sails, we will be a bit slower than the boys, anyway. I think that having three extra brains, especially female ones, could be our biggest advantage.”
Team SCA might be slower with their sails than the males, but if Davies is correct, their brain power could be enough to get the job done. This is only the beginning of a long, grueling ocean journey, but there is no reason to think that Team SCA can’t continue their early success over the next 9 months.
Team SCA is ready to race…but is the rest of the field at the Volvo Ocean Race ready for them?