Neal MacDonald-Coming Home

July 30, 2008 by Bang The Corner | 0 comments

As part of the Irish Green Dragon Team, Neal will be taking on his sixth lap of the planet

Coming Home


Neal MacDonald is about to embark on his sixth lap of the planet with the Green Dragon Team. He brings with him a wealth of experience and his charismatic character. Louay Habib spoke to Neal at their training base in Cork about the new boat, the new route and why he has decided to compete once again in the Volvo Ocean Race.

What are your first impressions of the new boat?

I can only compare it with Ericsson in the last race; it is a significantly more powerful boat. The reaching speeds are higher and the introduction of the Mast Head Code Zero makes them punchy in light winds. Previously with the Farr boats, they were definitely sticky in the light but the change in rule of sail design means the boats will arc up in very little breeze. I don’t believe there will be a quantum leap in speed in more wind strength as the bulb weight has been limited but there is a significant increase in performance in light air. It is great to get back into the Volvo 70 having not been on one for a while; it is a good size of boat and you can really get stuck in. I am very comfortable with the boat, sailing a Volvo 70 again feels like coming home.

How is the new generation VO70 different from its predecessor in terms of design?

There have been a few changes but really only fine tuning, it is a bit like the Volvo 60s in a way; the first year they raced around, there were quite big differences between the boats but I am thinking that this time the boats will be racing together more which should make it more entertaining. Last time, we rarely saw each other after the start; design and sail differences meant we all raced different courses.

What areas have you noticed the most difference?

Some of the systems are different but generally the biggest difference is that these boats are more user-friendly. The righting moment in the new boats is going to be pretty even and I would be surprised if there are any massive differences in the performance of the boats.


Thoughts about the new route?

I don’t really feel too badly about the new route, one way or the other but it is sponsor-friendly, we have to make sure that the sponsors are happy with the way we are going or we don’t have a race at all. Personally, I like the old Clipper type route but provided that this route is good for the sponsors then we just have to get on with it, it’s the same for everybody. To me, the stop overs are nearly so much fun as the sailing but this race has got to be paid for and the stop overs are very important from the sponsor’s point of view.

The long leg from China to Brasil doesn’t bother me; I have done one full lap non-stop and I think it is one of the good things that have come out of the change, a really long leg. However, gear failure, especially early on in that leg could put a team out of the race.


How competitive will the Green Dragon team be?

It is too early to tell but we have started a little late off the starting blocks and that will make it quite hard for us but having sailed the boat over to Ireland from the UK, I know that we have a really good platform; the boat feels fine, we have a great sail programme and a good bunch of guys. I have a lot of trust in Ian Walker; he has been thinking long and hard about this project for a great deal of time and he doesn’t do things by half and I have a lot of confidence in his decision making.

Thoughts on doing another lap?

You know, I am perhaps looking forward to this race more than before because I am doing exactly what I want to do; I am going sailing.I don’t have the decisions resting on my shoulders that I have had in the past. I don’t have to worry about the finances and all the non-sailing areas. I am offering my opinion but that’s all. I am not the one who has to choose what is right for the team. I am thoroughly looking forward to just getting stuck in and going sailing.