Bouwe berättar om yngsten ombord

Så här har det sett ut de senaste dygnen … Dong bevakar Mapfre och styr högre - mer sydvart.

Bouwe berättar torsdag 22 februari

VO-båtarna segar sig fram strax syd om ekvatorn och försöker avgöra om de ska gå väst eller öst om atollerna vid Vanuatu, Nya Caledonien och Fiji. Eller om de ska ta en stor omväg mot sydväst för att få stadigare vind. Under tiden tar Bouwe det lugnt och berättar om sin besättningsman Louis Balcaen berskrivande och personligt som alltid när Bouwe berättar - i text, i motsats till de flimrande stakkato - flmerna från racekontoret.

atest from Bouwe Bekking, skipper of Team Brunel:

It is amazing to see the changes of Louis since the first time he came sailing with us in the last campaign. Of course 4 years older, still skinny, but grown up in a lot of ways. I know his dad very well and funny enough you start seeing more and more similarities between the two
when the years go on: the way of communicating, the way of thinking, the way of making decisions and the funny one is the style of driving.

Louis can't stand still for a couple of minutes, always walking from one side of the steering platform to the other, then steering with his legs crossed, then back to normal, sometimes steering on one leg. He is nearly dancing on the board when the breeze is up, sometimes jumping in the air, when the boats shoots over a wave. He clearly prefers the windy conditions, like his father. It makes me smile every time to see the similarities between the two.

Louis has an enormous feel for the boat when sailing pressed up, clearly not using the instruments as a guidance, but using the wave angle and heel. So in light air like we had the last couple of days, you can see he is getting a bit annoyed, as there is not much happening. But in these conditions he transforms into a black panther when not on the helm: moving so effortless over the deck when changing the stack, lifting the sails like they way nothing and with that stare in his eyes, that he will catch the prey ahead. A winner type. That is our "Luiggi" in a nutshell.

Cheers,
Bouwe.