News

July 28, 2007

The team have enjoyed a well deserved rest between the Breitling Regatta and the King’s Cup at the Valle Romano Golf Resort where they have made team-building

Mean Machine Valle Romano just never stop. Even though most of the MedCup teams involved in last week’s Breitling Regatta have chosen to put their feet up, the Mean Machine family members programmed a rather different kind of 3 day team-building session to what they’re usually used to.

The Valle Romano resort was the location, the guests were the Mean Machine team, and lots of golf was on the menu.

Last Monday most of the team members made their way to Estepona, in Southern Spain. They were heading for the Valle Romano Golf Resort, to relaxed surroundings, and a few rounds of golf under the watchful eye of the Valle Romano team in their deluxe golfing facilities, as well as on the Guadalmina course.

Ton Dodson and Ray Davies, strategist and tactician respectively on Mean Machine Valle Romano, found many similarities between golf and sailing. “In both sports it’s really important to keep your cool and focus on the competition. I think these three days have done us a lot of good, and will really help us to go into the King’s Cup on top form.”

Tony Rae, grinder on the TP52 skippered by Peter de Ridder, also noticed what kind of demands are placed on you physically in a sport like golf. “Even though we’re at 100% fitness levels at the moment, I was quite surprised at how much strength comes from the forearms. Golf is a very complete sport.”

Following these few days out of the water and onto the golf course, most of the team are back in Palma de Mallorca, where they’ve begun training for the upcoming King’s Cup, the third event in this year’s Breitling Medcup Circuit.

The competition for Mean Machine Valle Romano and the rest of the TP 52s will start on Monday with the official training regatta. The windward – leeward races will begin one day later, including an offshore race, and the event will run through to Saturday August 4th.