There are some noticeable crew changes as the clock ticks down to the start of the second leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 which starts tomorrow.

Brasil 1 has taken on two very experienced ocean adventurers for the next leg. Marcel van Trieste (NED) replaces Adrienne Cahalan (AUS) as the navigator and had his first outing on the boat for the in-port race on Boxing Day. Van Trieste brings a wealth of experience to the boat and with three Whitbread/Volvo Ocean Races under his belt he beefs up the ocean experience onboard.

Norwegian Knut Frostad also joins the Brasil 1 crew for the Southern Ocean legs. Another three times round the world sailor, competing twice alongside Van Triest, Frostad comes onboard as one of the watch captains replacing Horacio Carabelli (BRA) who will remain ashore for this leg.

ABN AMRO ONE, the lead boat in the Volvo Ocean Race, also sees a crew replacement with British sailor Brian Thompson standing in for an injured Mark Christensen (NZ), who sustained an arm and wrist injury whilst training in Spain. Thompson is no stranger to the Southern Ocean or sailing around the world having seen victory last year in the Oryx Quest, a non-stop circumnavigation of the globe. Added to this, is a wealth of experience in Open 60s and maxi catamarans.

Other changes include the addition of three times Whitbread/Volvo Ocean Race sailor Matt Humphries to the crew of the newly named ING Real Estate Brunel (formerly Sunergy and Friends). British sailor Humphries will replace Campbell Field (NZ) as the navigator onboard the Australian entry while Gareth Cooke (NZ) replaces Graeme Taylor.
The final two crew changes are within Ericsson Racing Team and Pirates of the Caribbean; Irish sailor Damien Foxall, who competed onboard Tyco in the 2001-02 Volvo Ocean Race, has replaced Tony Kolb (GER) on Ericsson and Anthony Merrington (AUS) replaces Olympic bronze medallist Fredrik Loof of Sweden on Pirates of the Caribbean.

Movistar and ABN AMRO TWO are the only two boats not to have made any crew changes on leg two.

Whilst most people recover from their New Year’s over indulgence the crews of the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 will be enjoying their last fresh nutritional meals, final cold beer and warm bed before heading out into the Southern Ocean on Monday 2 January for one of the most challenging and gruelling legs of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Leg two gets underway at 1300 in Table Bay.

Crew lists for Leg Two

(Cape Town – Melbourne 6,100nm)

ABN AMRO ONE

Mike Sanderson (NZ) – Skipper

Stan Honey (USA) – Navigator

Brad Jackson (NZ)

Brian Thompson (GBR) [replaces Mark Christensen (NZ)]

Tony Mutter (NZ)

Sidney Gavignet (FRA)

David Endean (NZ)

Jan Dekker (RSA)

Robert Greenhalgh (GBR)

Justin Slattery (IRL)

ABN AMRO TWO

Sebastien Josse (FRA) – Skipper

Simon Fisher (GBR) – Navigator

Andrew Lewis (USA)

George Peet (USA)

Gerd Jan Poortman (NED)

Hans Horrevoets (NED)

Luke Molloy (AUS)

Nick Bice (AUS)

Scott Beavis (NZ)

Simeon Tienpont (NED)

Brasil 1

Torben Grael (BRA) – Skipper

Marcel Van Trieste (NED) – Navigator [replaces Adrienne Cahalan (AUS)]

André Fonseca (BRA)

Andy Meiklejohn (NZ)

Henrique Pellicano (BRA)

João Signorini (BRA)

Marcelo Ferreira (BRA)

Roberto Bermudez (ESP)

Stuart Wilson (NZ)

Knut Frostad (NOR) [replaces Horacio Carabelli (BRA)]

Ericsson Racing Team

Neal McDonald (GBR) – Skipper

Steven Hayles (GBR) – Navigator

Damien Foxall (IRL) [replaces Anton Kolb (GER)]

David Rolfe (NZ)

Guillermo Altadill (ESP)

Jason Carrington (GBR)

Magnus Woxen (SWE)

Richard Mason (NZ)

Thomas Braidwood (AUS)

Timothy Powell (GBR)

ING Real Estate Brunel

Grant Wharington (AUS) – Skipper

Matthew Humphries (GBR) – Navigator [replaces Campbell Field (NZ)]

Gareth Cooke (NZ) [replaces Graeme Taylor (AUS)]

Ian Walker (AUS)

Jeffery Scott (NZ)

Mark Bartlett (GBR)

Fraser Brown (NZ)

Adam Hawkins (AUS)

Mark Fullerton (AUS)

Ben Jones (AUS)

movistar

Bouwe Bekking (NED) – Skipper

Andrew Cape (AUS) – Navigator

Chris Nicholson (AUS)

Jonathan Swain (USA)

Mike Joubert (RSA)

Noel Drennan (IRL)

Pepe Ribes (ESP)

Peter Doriean (AUS)

Stu Bannatyne (NZ)

Xabier Fernandez (ESP)

Pirates of the Caribbean

Paul Cayard (USA) – Skipper

Jules Salter (GBR) – Navigator

Craig Satterthwaite (NZ)

Curtis Blewett (CAN)

Erle William (NZ)

Anthony Merrington (AUS) [replaces Fredrik Loof (SWE)]

Justin Clougher (AUS)

Justin Ferris (NZ)

Rodney Ardern (NZ)

Dirk de Ridder (NED)

Current Leaderboard

[position/team name/skipper/race points to date]

1st TEAM ABN AMRO ONE, Mike Sanderson (NZL) 15 pts

2nd Brasil 1, Torben Grael (BRA) 12.5 pts

3rd TEAM ABN AMRO TWO, Sebastien Josse (FRA) 12 pts

4th Ericsson Racing Team Neal McDonald (GBR) 11.5 pts

5th Movistar, Bouwe Bekking (NED) 6 pts

6th Pirates of the Caribbean, Paul Cayard (USA) 5 pts

6th ING Real Estate Brunel, Grant Wharington (AUS) 5 pts