bee5beb0-3988-498f-95eb-47d229c8b591/news/article/2006/august/graelfromthecockpit/2006-08-28T19:24:45.443News | From the Cockpit: Torben GraelNews | From the Cockpit: Torben GraelVolvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 | News | From the Cockpit: Torben Graeltruef49f95fe-af48-4e6f-92fe-3ebb0980822dNews Story Creative 01Defaultnews_story_creative_01.xslt20TeamBrasil 1f466181b-64b0-43aa-8663-8083ac3580ceDefault2006-09-15T13:06:07.56722-08-08 1351 GMTNews | From the Cockpit: Torben Grael3d168163-384f-4fda-a741-757fc83f0b71e6f20a34-9927-402d-979a-4fb3585eb926ImagePrimaryMov22861514-7742-479e-bf1c-53802a12fddcimages/assets/grael_cockpit_hline_605x57.pngtrueFrom The Cockpit Torben Graelgrael_cockpit_hline_605x57.png.png57605Volvo Ocean Race532cad01-81ea-4317-a3b5-b7126bb28feaimages/assets/grael_cockpit_hline_605x57_thumb.pngfalseFrom The Cockpit Torben Graelgrael_cockpit_hline_605x57_thumb.png{Width=605, Height=5.png9100Volvo Ocean Race10ContentImageFrom The Cockpit Torben Grael Headline 605x572006-08-16T11:37:11.087falsefalsefalsefalsee630a81c-4e4b-45d3-bf10-4496035b61f2ImagePrimaryMov3d851c6b-b138-4ef4-b1c3-9454196b61a8images/assets/grael_cockpit_413x171.jpgtrueTorben Grael, skipper of Brasil 1 at the skippers Q&amp;A with Gary Jobson on the main stage of the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Annapolis Oskar Kihlborg © 2006 Volvo Ocean Racegrael_cockpit_413x171.jpg.jpg171413Oskar Kihlborg5b38214e-cc2b-44a0-b8d5-88cdd8d9c719images/assets/grael_cockpit_413x171_thumb.jpgfalseTorben Grael, skipper of Brasil 1 at the skippers Q&amp;A with Gary Jobson on the main stage of the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Annapolis Oskar Kihlborg © 2006 Volvo Ocean Racegrael_cockpit_413x171_thumb.jpg{Width=413, Height=1.jpg41100Oskar Kihlborg10ContentImage20TeamBrasil 1grael_cockpit_413x171,From The Cockpit Torben Grael 413x1712006-08-16T11:41:05.25falsefalsefalsefalsef0a4d2e1-b465-4413-9abd-cf33e8c42c94ImagePrimaryMovf4e0910d-8e65-48ba-9984-2a60cb42aae8images/assets/grael_cockpit_212x171_ear.jpgtrueBrasil 1 sits to weather of Ericsson and ABN AMRO TWO on the first leg of the In Port race, Portsmouth UK; Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006 ©Paul Todd/Outsideimagesgrael_cockpit_212x171_ear.jpg.jpg212171Paul Todd | outsideimages7e5e83ae-dae0-4dd7-9f96-43ee30b8394cimages/assets/grael_cockpit_212x171_ear_thumb.jpgfalseBrasil 1 sits to weather of Ericsson and ABN AMRO TWO on the first leg of the In Port race, Portsmouth UK; Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006 ©Paul Todd/Outsideimagesgrael_cockpit_212x171_ear_thumb.jpg{Width=171, Height=2.jpg10081Paul Todd | outsideimages10ContentImage20TeamBrasil 1grael_cockpit_212x171_ear,From The Cockpit Torben Grael 171x212ear2006-08-16T11:45:04.023falsefalsefalsefalsebf8fbca4-d0f4-42dd-a0c3-148caa8ba13bImagePrimaryMov04ae321a-d05e-4799-abe4-706b81a922aaimages/assets/grael_cockpit_hline_456x69.pngtrueFrom The Cockpit Torben Graelgrael_cockpit_hline_456x69.png.png69456Volvo Ocean Raceb1be04a5-42b7-4bca-b4e7-82431282ecc1images/assets/grael_cockpit_hline_456x69_thumb.pngfalseFrom The Cockpit Torben Graelgrael_cockpit_hline_456x69_thumb.png{Width=456, Height=6.png15100Volvo Ocean Race10ContentImageFrom The Cockpit Torben Grael Headline 456x692006-08-16T11:37:45.417falsefalsefalsefalsef8f6437b-8c1d-4438-ba07-5fb8962532a6ImagePrimaryMovf3b7325b-dc59-477e-9887-b841d6d6a4b5images/assets/grael_cockpit_292x218.jpgtrueTorben Grael, skipper of Brasil 1 at the skippers Q&amp;A with Gary Jobson on the main stage of the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Annapolis Oskar Kihlborg © 2006 Volvo Ocean Racegrael_cockpit_292x218.jpg.jpg218292Oskar Kihlborgb3728d58-a74c-4605-9eb7-950e0b2b881dimages/assets/grael_cockpit_292x218_thumb.jpgfalseTorben Grael, skipper of Brasil 1 at the skippers Q&amp;A with Gary Jobson on the main stage of the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Annapolis Oskar Kihlborg © 2006 Volvo Ocean Racegrael_cockpit_292x218_thumb.jpg{Width=292, Height=2.jpg75100Oskar Kihlborg10ContentImage20TeamBrasil 1grael_cockpit_292x218,From The Cockpit Torben Grael 292x2182006-08-16T11:41:51.88falsefalsefalsefalse57a815e6-c278-4a59-b93f-c22c0809b4ebImagePrimaryMov9e223320-f7c7-4a2a-b7ff-02dee7b3eed2images/assets/grael_cockpit_hline_456x74.pngtrueFrom The Cockpit Torben Graelgrael_cockpit_hline_456x74.png.png74456Volvo Ocean Race742219d6-1634-43d6-9f5d-b6671d8ad64bimages/assets/grael_cockpit_hline_456x74_thumb.pngfalseFrom The Cockpit Torben Graelgrael_cockpit_hline_456x74_thumb.png{Width=456, Height=7.png16100Volvo Ocean Race10ContentImageFrom The Cockpit Torben Grael Headline 456x742006-08-16T11:38:09.387falsefalsefalsefalse07e40fd1-7e2d-4c1e-b651-026bd4e758aeImagePrimaryMov8fabe4cb-ee39-4f8f-9ecb-885eda26b569images/assets/grael_cockpit_442x123.jpgtrueTorben Grael, skipper of Brasil 1 at the skippers Q&amp;A with Gary Jobson on the main stage of the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Annapolis Oskar Kihlborg © 2006 Volvo Ocean Racegrael_cockpit_442x123.jpg.jpg123442Oskar Kihlborg00ba648c-7a74-47af-9e87-cf24e88e7f07images/assets/grael_cockpit_442x123_thumb.jpgfalseTorben Grael, skipper of Brasil 1 at the skippers Q&amp;A with Gary Jobson on the main stage of the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Annapolis Oskar Kihlborg © 2006 Volvo Ocean Racegrael_cockpit_442x123_thumb.jpg{Width=442, Height=1.jpg28100Oskar Kihlborg10ContentImage20TeamBrasil 1grael_cockpit_442x123,From The Cockpit Torben Grael 442x1232006-08-16T11:42:40.643falsefalsefalsefalse2b6203a9-7f4f-406a-be12-4861252e4a64ImagePrimaryMov834b0ed1-92ba-4cbe-ba2c-51d08cf05f4cimages/assets/grael_cockpit_183x137.jpgtrueTorben Grael, skipper of Brasil 1 at the skippers Q&amp;A with Gary Jobson on the main stage of the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Annapolis Oskar Kihlborg © 2006 Volvo Ocean Racegrael_cockpit_183x137.jpg.jpg137183Oskar Kihlborgc0097910-9754-4ddb-95a6-53822eba322dimages/assets/grael_cockpit_183x137_thumb.jpgfalseTorben Grael, skipper of Brasil 1 at the skippers Q&amp;A with Gary Jobson on the main stage of the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Annapolis Oskar Kihlborg © 2006 Volvo Ocean Racegrael_cockpit_183x137_thumb.jpg{Width=183, Height=1.jpg75100Oskar Kihlborg10ContentImage20TeamBrasil 1grael_cockpit_183x137,From The Cockpit Torben Grael 183x1372006-08-16T11:43:48.693falsefalsefalsefalsee91eb88a-2ae1-4a04-865e-c8381e8bbe05FROM THE COCKPIT: TORBEN GRAELfalsed28cea66-e58f-422d-9a01-691e2d74df30/teamnews/brasil1/_selfThis will open a new page of the Volvo Ocean Race websiteMore about Brasil 1eca78371-d0c4-4df2-9c7d-398ca072fe64<i>When we started the Volvo Ocean Race, back in 2005, few believed that, after eight months, we would have the kind of success we achieved, writes Brazilian first-time Volvo Ocean Race skipper, and multiple Olympic medal winner, Torben Grael.</i>    <p>It was the first Brazilian boat to compete in this race and we recovered from almost everything to finish third overall. It was a true adventure around the world and it ended with all our goals fulfilled.</p>    <p>Brasil 1 will always be remembered as a pioneer project in Brazil. Just to have put together such a campaign, overcoming all the difficulties, is already a big achievement. It wasn’t easy to find the funds for such an audacious project inside  our country, but the team’s directors, Alan Adler and Enio Ribeiro, never gave up. We built our boat in Brazil and entered in the competition with half the crew not having experience in this kind of offshore racing. But we were competitive from day one and the final result shows it. We were third overall, won a leg and showed our own point of view to this new world which Brazilians are entering.</p>    <p><b>Making the right decisons</b></p> <p>This means that we really got the majority of our decisions right. For me, the biggest strength of this team was the partnership that everybody showed during the race. The morale onboard was always high and this made a difference. Of course we couldn’t get everything right. Our preparation time wasn’t the best, but lots of other teams also got to the start line far from being completely prepared.</p>    <p>Even so, we got into an amazing learning curve. We finished with eight podium positions, four of them in a row to close the race. This means that the crew as a whole evolved as we got used to each other and to the boat. I will always remember the victory into Rotterdam and the fight we put into it.</p>    <p>Particularly for me, it was a big human adventure. The Torben Grael that finished the Volvo Ocean Race is surely wiser. I’m older, my face has a lot of new wrinkles and I can say that I learned a lot about human behaviour. Everything that happened to us made me grow as a person and I’m really grateful to have had such a great crew to help me in this learning process.</p>    <p>As sailors, this was a dream come true. Brasil 1 was the fastest boat I’ve ever sailed, by far. These boats are capable of some amazing things and can put you into some tricky situations. I’ll never forget rounding Cape Horn, for example.</p>    <p>When we arrived in Göteborg, everybody asked me “What now?” Well, I’ve got another America’s Cup campaign going on and Marcelo Ferreira and I are trying once more to qualify for the Olympic Games in 2008. But I can’t lie: if I had to retire right now, I would have accomplished everything that I always dreamed of.<p>    <p>Torben Grael</P>    <p>Part 1 : <a href=http://www.volvooceanrace.org/news/article/2006/august/wharingtonfromthecockpit/index.aspx    class="blueU">From the Cockpit: Grant Wharington</a></p>    <p>Part 2 : <a href=http://www.volvooceanrace.org/news/article/2006/august/mcdonaldfromthecockpit/index.aspx    class="blueU">From the Cockpit: Neal McDonald</a></p>    <p>Part 3 : <a href=http://www.volvooceanrace.org/news/article/2006/august/jossefromthecockpit/index.aspx    class="blueU">From the Cockpit: Seb Josse</a></p> <p>Part 5 : <a href=http://www.volvooceanrace.org/news/article/2006/september/cayardfromthecockpit/index.aspx    class="blueU">From the Cockpit: Paul Cayard</a></p>  <p>Part 6 : <a href=http://www.volvooceanrace.org/news/article/2006/august/sandersonfromthecockpit/index.aspx class="blueU">From the Cockpit: Mike Sanderson</a></p> <p>Part 7 : <a href=http://www.volvooceanrace.org/news/article/2006/august/bekkingfromthecockpit/index.aspx class="blueU">From the Cockpit: Bouwe Bekking</a></p>       The boys from Brazil took a podium place in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06.  Sailing legend Torben Grael tells all2006-08-24T10:00:00Thu, 24 Aug 2006 10:00:00 UTC