Volvo doesn't just mean a car ...

Tonight I was in Portsmouth - with some of the Movistar crew from the Volvo race. Someone who is staying with me for a few days had met the crew in Baltimore. He wanted to go to Portsmouth tonight to console them and offer his support. At this level, the sport involves highly ordered teams where each role is clearly defined. The whole objective is to get to the end. The Movistar crew was bereft, they couldn't finish the race - the boat was lost and one of the crewmen from ABN Amro Two had lost his life.

This isn't about money although the boat cost a small fortune. It is about planning how you will complete the next stage. The plans don't have a contingency which considers how to deal with not completing the stage - why would they? The Movistar guys were physically present tonight, but mentally they were miles away. I can't imagine what was going through their heads.

I think that it will be some time before they pick themselves up again.

Tags

• Planning