1:58 AM Fri 7 Nov 2008 GMT
PUMA Ocean Racing have announced that veteran duo Jerry Kirby and Jonathan McKee will be rested for the forthcoming leg to India.
The American pair, aged 52 and 48 respectively, will be replaced for the 4,450-nautical mile trip to Cochin by Shannon Falcone of Antigua and New Zealand's Robbie Naismith, a previous race winner.
According to the team's general manager Kimo Worthington, the move was taken to preserve freshness within the team.
'Instead of carrying the same guys around, we are bringing in fresh blood,' he said. 'Normally the guys here have five weeks off but here it is like two weeks with just four or five days off this time. We like the idea of having fresh blood.'
Worthington revealed it was a policy of the team to rotate crew throughout the 37,000-nautical mile epic, but would not divulge when Kirby and McKee might return.
He said: 'We are evaluating the legs and seeing who is suitable for what the guys are going to face. Over the race a lot of people will be coming on and a lot off, but we won't say who and when.
'Ken (Read, the skipper) wants to keep things fresh, and you have to in a race like this.'
The new faces will bring a variety of talents to the boat. Forty-four-year-old Naismith, who is described by Worthington as a 'world class trimmer', won the Whitbread 60 class of the 1994 race onboard Yamaha. He has since raced onboard Team New Zealand and BMW Oracle in the America's Cup and is involved in the Team Origin operation.
Falcone, 27, is a trimmer and pitman considered by Worthington to be a 'monster'. He sailed in the 32nd America's Cup onboard Luna Rossa.
Worthington said: 'He is 6ft 4. He is a big guy, very strong.
'Both these sailors are great guys and both bring a lot to the boat. They are both tough, excellent sailors.'
Martin Stromberg has recovered from a hand injury in time to take his place onboard Ericsson 3 for leg two from Cape Town to Cochin, India.
The Swede, 26, was forced to miss the first leg after breaking bones in his left hand during a practice session at the team's training base in Lanzarote in August.
It paved the way for Norwegian Star sailor Eivind Melleby to join the team as they scooped a stunning third place finish into Cape Town, but now the pair will swap back and Stromberg can resume his duties as a trimmer.
'It was very difficult, having trained so long not to be on the boat,' Stromberg said. 'But I am really looking forward to getting back and sailing to India.'
In his absence, Anders Lewander's Nordic crew showed their fighting spirit by recovering from a couple of setbacks on the 6,500-nautical mile leg.
'The team did really well,' Stromberg said. 'They got off to a really good start, then fell back (just after the Strait of Gibraltar, when they dropped from first to fifth). They then got back in front and it got hard again (when they slipped to sixth going through the scoring gate at Fernando de Noronha).'
Ultimately they battled back to take third for the leg and sixth on the leaderboard with five points, though they had four points deducted for a non-compliant keel that has since been replaced.
'It was a really good result,' Stromberg said. 'I hope there are a few more good legs to come. I really cannot wait to be part of it again.'
by Volvo Ocean Race media
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