A medical issue has forced Vestas 11th Hour Racing into two changes in their crew for the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18.
Two-time race winner Phil Harmer has a back issue, meaning he will not be taking part in the Alicante-Lisbon leg. Harmer is replaced by five-time Volvo Ocean Race veteran Damian Foxall, a winner with Groupama in 2011-12.
Harmer’s absence leaves a void in the requirement to have two medics onboard. In order to comply with the rule, Hannah Diamond, one of the team’s medically trained sailors, will compete in the first leg, replacing Jena Mai Hansen.
“Injuries happen in sport, and we have a lot of redundancy on the team, and we are fortunate to have good backups,” said Charlie Enright, skipper of Vestas 11th Hour Racing. “We look forward to getting them back as soon as we can.”
Crew line-ups for the Leg 1 sprint from Alicante to Lisbon (1,450nm).
Vestas 11th Hour Racing:
Charlie Enright (skipper)
Simon Fisher
Mark Towill
Damian Foxall
Nick Dana
Tom Johnson
Tony Mutter
Stacey Jackson
Hannah Diamond
James Blake (OBR)
Dongfeng Race Team:
Charles Caudrelier (skipper)
Pascal Bidégorry
Stuart Bannatyne
Jérémie Beyou
Daryl Wislang
Marie Riou
Carolijn Brouwer
Jackson Bouttell
Chen Jinhao (Horace)
Richard Edwards (OBR)
team AkzoNobel:
Brad Jackson (skipper)
Jules Salter
Joca Signorini
Nicolai Sehested
Emily Nagel
Martine Grael
Luke Molloy
Rome Kirby
Brad Farrand
Konrad Frost (OBR)
Team Brunel:
Bouwe Bekking (skipper)
Carlo Huisman
Alberto Bolzan
Kyle Langford
Andrew Cape
Maciel Cicchetti
Peter Burling
Annie Lush
Abby Ehler
Martin Keruzoré (OBR)
Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag:
David Witt (skipper)
Alex Gough
Annemieke Bes
Ben Piggott
John Fisher
Luke Parkinson
Steve Hayles
Tom Clout
Jeremie Lecaudey (OBR)
Turn the Tide on Plastic:
Dee Caffari (skipper)
Nico Lunven
Martin Strömberg
Liz Wardley
Annalise Murphy
Francesca Clapcich
Bianca Cook
Lucas Chapman
Bleddyn Mon
Bernardo Freitas
Jen Edney (OBR)
MAPFRE:
Xabi Fernández (skipper)
Joan Vila
Pablo Arrarte
Rob Greenhalgh
Antonio “Ñeti” Cuervas-Mons
Blair Tuke
Willy Altadill
Sophie Ciszek
Támara Echegoyen
Ugo Fonollá (OBR)
