QUOTES FROM MEAN MACHINE ON POTUGAL TROPHY


Jules Salter, navigator on Mean Machine Valle Romano on the different weather conditions on the cards in the Atlantic: "it will be great to sail in Portugal and try and quickly get to know a new venue. We have done some studies on the venue but you always have to be prepared for something a bit different and take a venue as you find it….this year has been quite atypical weather wise in a lot of places already so Portimao may be another example".

Jono Swain downwind trimmer on Mean Machine Valle Romano, on sailing Mean Machine last year compared with this season: "At this point we are trying to tweak our boat to its' limit in order to stay in touch with the new boats.Now we know how most of the other guys felt last season only some of them were virtually our sister-ships!"

Jono Swain, downwind trimmer on Mean Machine Valle Romano, on his experience and knowledge of Portimao: "I have actually been to Portimao once but under different circumstances: It was only 14 hours into the Volvo race and our first leg was all but over with hydraulic-ram free-floating inside the boat,a cracked bulkhead and a third of the rudder and canard missing!"

Ray Davies, tactician on Mean Machine Valle Romano, on the competition in Portimao: “Sailing in Portugal we will have a higher chance of big breeze! the venues in the Med tend to be mild, we are going to a venue that has potential for big waves and big wind, I hope this is what we will see as the TP52's will fly downwind, it could be very spectacular!”

Peter de Ridder, owner and skipper of Mean Machine Valle Romano, forecasts the boats’ performance in Portimao: “In general I expect to see more breeze than you normally experience in the Med during a normal day with sea breeze. Furthermore in these conditions I expect the new boats to do well again, fore all the ones which are a bit more breeze orientated”

Peter de Ridder, , owner and skipper of Mean Machine Valle Romano, on improvements made to the TP52 Mean Machine Valle Romano: “Not much we can do to improve. We may try to get the jibs at a narrower sheeting angle, which may give us the ability in choppy conditions, to have some more pointing together with forward speed.
For the rest we will have to fucuss on sailing tactically well while taking into account our relative performance against the new crop of 2007 boats”
For more info about Mean Machine contact to: Helena de la Gándara. Mean Machine PR mail: helena@mean-machine.nl Telephone: +34 609481394 Photos: FREE USE FOR EDITORIAL PURPOSES. SANDER VAN DER BORCH/MEAN MACHINE For those interested in obtaining interviews, footage by FTP, or more photos regarding Mean Machine team or crew members please contact with us at: helena@mean-machine.nl More news and photos at: www. mean-machine.nl Sponsor website: www.valleromano.net --