Mark Reynolds, American double Olympic medallist in the Star class, will join Team SEB for the sixth leg of the VOR from Miami to Baltimore replacing Scott Beavis.

This leg, which starts on Sunday, is the first sprint leg in the race and is only 875 miles up along the east American coast. Close racing and tactics will be crucial in the three days short leg that is worth the same amount of points as the longer earlier legs.

Gurra Krantz, skipper commented: “With Mark’s experience from Star boat racing and his touch as a helmsman, refined over many years, he will contribute a lot on the tactical side. I am sure it will be a close race all the way and anything can happen until the very last meters before the finish in Chesapeake Bay.”

Mark Reynolds, 46 years old from San Diego, has competed in four Olympic Games in the Star boat class. At the 1988 Games in Korea he took the silver medal together with Hal Haenel and they came back four years later in the Barcelona Games and became Olympic Champions. After a sixth place in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he teamed up with ex-Swede Magnus and in 2000 went on to win a gold in Sydney.

In 1995 and 2000 Reynolds won the World Champion title and previously this year he won the Bacardi Cup in Miami together with Liljedahl. In big boat racing Reynolds has been tactician onboard Farr 40s and last year he won the US Admiral’s Cup trials.

Looking ahead to the sixth leg, Reynolds said: “I am looking forward to seeing how I can contribute. I am sure it will be a tight race. I have been following the race closely so far, and I am excited to now be part of it.”

The sixth leg starts on Sunday the 14 April in Miami at 1800 GMT (13.00 local time) and the fleet is estimated to arrive in Baltimore on Wednesday 17 of April.