Galway Backed Yacht Qualifies For Ocean Race

THE Galway-backed Green Dragon Volvo Open 70 has officially completed its qualification passage for the Volvo Ocean Race 2008/09.Having decided to find the most testing weather for the trip, conditions onboard were extreme, as the crew rounded the famous Fastnet Rock and headed north-east straight into the North Atlantic.During the 2,000 mile qualifier, Green Dragon sailed to a waypoint 200 miles south of Iceland, the crew then set a northerly course to 59,32.2N 020.6W, approximately halfway between the Outer Hebrides and the Faroe Islands, before returning south to their training base in Cork.“It took us exactly five days to sail 2,050 miles in predominantly strong downwind conditions in the North Atlantic,” said Ian Walker, skipper of the Green Dragon Racing Team.“The conditions turned out to be absolutely perfect; Ian Moore did a fantastic job to navigate us around a strong North Atlantic depression in an anti-clockwise (downwind) direction. I have never felt so much excitement from going sailing without racing in my life.“These boats are outrageous and awesome in equal...