Enright and Vestas enjoy stay, but it’s back to the Leg 9 grind

Photos and story by Richard W. Dionne Jr. rdionne@eastbaynewspapers.com
Posted 5/23/18

Bristol resident, Vestas 11th Hour Racing skipper Charlie Enright and his team left Newport with the Volvo Ocean Race fleet as they started Leg 9 on Sunday afternoon. The fleet is racing 3300 …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


Enright and Vestas enjoy stay, but it’s back to the Leg 9 grind

Posted

Bristol resident and Vestas 11th Hour Racing skipper Charlie Enright and his team left Newport with the Volvo Ocean Race fleet as they started Leg 9 on Sunday afternoon. The fleet is racing 3,300 nautical miles across the Atlantic to Cardiff, Wales. Vestas is battling for second place with Team AkzoNobel. The two vessels are neck and neck behind Team Brunel.

Mr. Enright commented after the Newport In-Port Race on his team’s readiness for Leg 9.

“We are ready to go off shore,” he said. “We are consistently chipping away, but have a lot of room for improvement.”

The Vestas crew has been sailing well recently. Mr. Enright has led the team to two third-place finishes during his stay in Newport. He capped his Leg 8 finish with another podium finish during the In-Port Race on Saturday.

“We got off the line really well, which was nice,” said Mr. Enright. “The boat was going through the water well, which is good, but we really need to clean up the maneuvers.”

Mr. Enright was hoping to finish better in Newport.

“We mismanaged a situation at the second leeward-mark,” he said. “It could have been the difference between second and third place.”

Mr. Enright has had little rest during his stay in Bristol. Aside from meeting with his team and planning the Leg 9 race, he educated visitors on ocean conservation and sustainability efforts during 11th Hour Racing’s One Ocean Exploration Zone at the racing village in Newport on Saturday, May 12. He also gave a lecture at the Herreshoff Marine Museum on Monday, May 14.

“It’s been really hectic this week,” said Mr. Enright. “There has been a lot going on. It has been just as busy as being on the boat.”

With his busy schedule, Mr. Enright didn’t get to spend as much time with his family as he would have liked.

“I wish I could have seen more of my family,” he said. “Most mornings I’m out of the house before they are awake and back home after they are asleep. That’s kind of how it goes.”

He plans to be back in Bristol for a break after Leg 9.

“I have plans to fly home from Cardiff, Wales, so I’ll get some rest then,” Mr. Enright said.

Despite the busy schedule, Mr. Enright was happy to be home for a while.

“It’s cool to be home,” he said. “It’s been an unbelievable stopover here with all the support that we’ve had. The support here is astounding.”

2024 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
Mike Rego

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.