2B Sailing News Article
ROUND THE WORLD SAILORS REUNITE FOR VIPER ASSAULT
For the first time since they raced across some of the most dangerous stretches of water on the planet in a Volvo Ocean Race, multiple Olympic sailor Carolijn Brouwer and renown single-handed sailor Liz Wardley will join forces on a Viper catamaran in a quest to write their names into sailing's history books.
Two of the most accomplished female sailors on the international racing scene, Brouwer and Wardley have jumped at the chance to reunite on the water for a shot at creating history in the three-day Eurocat regatta in France from Friday.
"No all-female crew has ever won the Eurocat regatta," said Brouwer, a former world Europe dinghy champion who with old crewmate Sebastien Godefroid won a silver at the 2007 world Tornado championships in Portugal.
"While we haven't done a lot of sailing together since we raced on Amer Sport Two in the 2001/2002 Volvo Ocean Race, we thought it would be fun to take on the boys at their own game for a change.
"At the very least it will be good to keep them on their toes. They couldn't bare it if a couple of girls beat them, now could they?"
Brouwer, based in The Netherlands, and Wardley, who spends most of the sailing season in France will sail the two-person Viper together at the Eurocat regatta.
Brouwer believes the boat, that targets smaller crews than F18 and therefore suitable for the youth, women and mixed crews, is a realistic chance at racing onto the podium in Carnac, home of the Eurocat regatta, if she and Wardley are delivered the right conditions.
"Ideally, because of our weight, we'd love some light-weather sailing," Brouwer said. "It's what would probably give us the biggest edge at the Eurocat."
While Wardley is best known in Europe for her single-handed skills and Solitaire du Figaro campaigns, few are aware racing the Viper will mark a return to her sailing roots with the Papua New Guinean born and Australian schooled sailor a former world Hobie 16 medallist.
The Eurocat regatta is the annual season opener for catamarans with around 300 crews expected to contest the event which begins on Friday.
"This is one of the best and most fun regattas we get to do all year," said Brouwer, who with partner and former world champion Darren Bundock imports C2 Formula 18's and Vipers into Europe. "The cream of the catamaran world will be there and we want to put on a real show with the Viper."
