Wed, 15 Mar 2006 21:30:00 UTC
In statement this afternoon, Ericsson Racing Team announced that Neal McDonald would step down as skipper, replaced by John Kostecki
In a statement from the team management, Ericsson Racing Team made the announcement today that Neal McDonald will be taking a step down from the skipper’s position at least for the next leg of the race. The statement, issued to the press by Communication Manager, Bernard Schopfer, is below. What follows immediately is John Kostecki's recent interview with our reporter, Riath Al-Samarrai:
New Ericsson skipper John Kostecki believes his leadership qualities and some fine tuning to the way the crew sail the boat will be enough to reinvigorate his team in the second half of the race
Kostecki was this morning upgraded from inshore tactician to skipper for the race to Baltimore after Neal McDonald’s shock demotion to watch captain, and is adamant the team, which sits bottom of the leaderboard, is capable of winning “at least a leg” from the remaining five stages.
“We have not been doing well enough and we can improve,” said Kostecki, who skippered illbruck to victory in the last race.
It is believed the American’s intensity, tactical prowess and fresh perspective swayed the team’s management during 48 hours of discussions into making a radical change in search of better results.
The team is yet to finish above fourth in a leg, while rumours of crew in-fighting have spread throughout the dock. The fifth placed finish into Rio de Janeiro on Saturday appears to have been the last straw before management made their move.
Kostecki said, “I would have hoped we would have had better results in the offshore legs, but I think for several reasons we have concluded we just haven’t been getting the top performance
“We are not making huge changes; we are going to try and fine tune things.
“It’s a collection of problems. You can’t put your finger on one single thing. Nothing is terribly far off so it’s a matter of fine tuning and doing a better job in every area.
“I know we can improve and are capable of winning at least a leg,” he said.
Kostecki is not fazed by the prospect of inheriting a struggling team halfway through the race and believes his skills and experience are sufficient to bring about an improvement.
“Fortunately I have been working with the team and I know the team quite well and it’s not like I’m just coming from the outside. But as I said I’m a team player and everyone on our team is professional and accepting the change and willing to change. We want to improve our results.
“I have experience doing the race a couple of times before, a winning experience from the last race, and then I have my tactical or strategic skills. Hopefully I can bring some leadership skills onboard as well. Coming in from the outside for the offshore legs I can see for myself what’s really going on onboard. It’s hard following the race from the shore to see what is really going on.
As for McDonald, Kostecki says there is no resentment between the pair and he is confident McDonald will be valuable in his new role.
“I’ve talked to him a lot over the last couple of days,” he said. “We have been working together for five or six months and we both look forward to working with each other until the finish of the race.
“I think he’s disappointed but also a little bit relieved. He enjoys his offshore racing a lot. I think his role on the boat had been a little different to what it had been in the last couple of races, but I think he will be very comfortable in the watch captain role.
“This really is his team, he built this team so for sure I’ll be looking to him for leadership on this yacht, I can’t do it single-handedly.
But despite Ericsson’s press release stating McDonald would be acting as co-skipper, Kostecki said, “I’ll have the final call.”
The team must now drop a member of the crew to accommodate their new skipper. Tom Braidwood or Damien Foxall are the likely candidates as they are both currently injured – Foxall is still in hospital with an internal elbow infection – but if they both prove their fitness before the team returns to the water, Kostecki acknowledges he has a “tough decision”.
The team's statement
”The Ericsson Racing Team has decided to make crew changes for the next leg of the Volvo Ocean Race from Rio de Janeiro to Baltimore. American sailor John Kostecki, who has sailed with the team as tactician during the in-port races, will take on the role of skipper and Neal McDonald will sail onboard as watch captain and co-skipper. Due to injuries amongst the crew, it is not yet decided who will step ashore.
“In order to improve the team's performance in the Volvo Ocean Race, the Ericsson Racing Team has been analyzing every element of the campaign. Today, the team announces that American sailor John Kostecki will sail as skipper for leg five from Rio de Janeiro to Baltimore. The team also continues to develop the sail program for the next legs, and focuses on other improvements such as working methods and communication - two areas where Kostecki's experience will be invaluable.
"Neal has been Ericsson's skipper since the beginning of the campaign, but considering our current situation in the race, it has become clear that we need to improve team dynamics and performance. Following long discussions with Neal, John and other team members, we decided that a change of organization onboard is necessary for leg five," comments Ericsson Racing Team Project Director Richard Brisius. "We are in a unique position to have two world class skippers within the team and everyone has done their best to put their personal interests aside, for the benefit of the campaign, especially Neal and John."
“Winner of the 2001/02 Volvo Ocean Race as skipper onboard illbruck, Kostecki is one of the world's top sailors. An Olympic silver medallist (1988) and ten-time world champion in a range of one-design classes, he has also been involved in four America's Cup campaigns as tactician.
“Neal McDonald commented: "It has been a tough race so far for the Ericsson Racing Team and we haven't had the results we expected. John Kostecki has a proven track record in both inshore and ocean racing and we all have a lot of respect for him, which is why he was associated with the team to begin with."
“John Kostecki has joined the team in Rio de Janeiro, and he hopes to start sailing early next week in preparation for the next in-port race. "I am very excited and proud to join the Ericsson Racing Team for leg five," he said. "These boats are extraordinary inshore, so I can't wait to experience an offshore leg. I have a lot of respect for Neal McDonald and I can see how the entire team looks up to him. Now we just need to concentrate hard on the next legs and to remain focused. There are still a lot of points up for grabs and there are good opportunities to climb up the leaderboard."
“Ericsson and other team partners have been informed about the planned changes since the team's arrival in Rio de Janeiro. "The support they give us and the respect they have for our decisions are very much appreciated", comments Richard Brisius. "We are fortunate to have partners who are focused on performance and result as we are, but who also understand the difficulties of an event such as the Volvo Ocean Race, with both human and technological challenges."
“Ericsson is currently in a disappointing sixth place on the leaderboard, having failed to show its full potential. There are still five legs, four in-port races and more than 10,000 miles to sail. For the Ericsson Racing team, a new race is starting.”
After continuing poor results it was clear that someone would have to take the blame, but this arrangement would seem to be the best of both worlds, bringing in an acknowledged campaign leader, but retaining the strengths of Neal McDonald as an offshore sailor.
It is not clear why McDonald has been struggling with Ericsson. He ran Kostecki a close second when illbruck won in the last race, taking over ASSA ABLOY from the deposed Roy Heiner – the man behind the ABN AMRO campaign this race – and is an immensely respected skipper and leader in his own right. Perhaps the pressures of total control and responsibility have dulled his edge, but if you had canvassed those in the know before the race, Neal McDonald would have been up there among the good bets for the win this time.
The other question of course is, can John Kostecki turn round the campaign before the race comes to Europe? There is a lot to do it they are to pick up the pace to equal or surpass Pirates of the Caribbean, let alone approach ABN AMRO ONE. One thing, Kostecki will relish a fight against his old adversary Paul Cayard.
Our reporters are talking to the team and we will bring you more reaction as it can be obtained.