People have been flocking to the Barcelona World Race Village and the pontoons, which are open to the public, have been packed throughout the day. In this pre-race fever, it’s not easy for the teams to make their last minute preparations calmly, but Dominique and Michèle are well used to it.
Along with the Mirabaud shore team, the two co-skippers are now into the minutiae of preparing the boat. “I still have to update the GPS with the starting bouy coordinates,” says Dominique, “and then we need a final tidy up on board and some last minute checks.” Amongst Michèle’s responsibilities is the mast. She knows it like the back of her hand, and has a vested interest in making sure all is well before the start, as she will be the one to climb it during the race, if necessary. The port rudder has also been fared to remove a slight vibration before being painted and refitted. The port daggerboard has undergone the same treatment and has been in place since this morning.
Juggling interviews, press conferences and photo shoots, Dominique and Michèle can rest safe in the knowledge that their shore crew, headed by Magali, are pulling out all the stops in their absence. The two co-skippers are gradually retreating into their bubble, keen to get going and leave all the fervour behind.
“This race was made for us,” explained Michèle during this morning’s press conference. “It’s an extremely intense race, designed for a sailor on watch 24 hours a day, with four hands and two heads…”
The forecast for the start couldn’t be better with mild temperatures, sun and a light wind up to 15 knots.
