They also serve who wait ashore

By JULIE ASH

It's all hands on deck as the fleet prepares for leg four of the round-the-world race from Auckland to Rio de Janeiro, starting on January 27.

But it is not just the crews who are hard at work - there are team nutritionists keeping an eye on who's eating what, the security guards watching the boats, and the shore teams who aim to make each stopover hassle-free.

Each syndicate has its own workshop container, which is shipped around the world. Another container and a prefabricated office await them in each port.

News Corp shore manager Leah Fanstone, wife of skipper Jez Fanstone, prepares everything for the boat's arrival, including unpacking the container, setting up the office and looking after the accounts.

"I spend a lot of time on the phone making contact with local suppliers, so if we need a particular part and model, we can source it and get it the quickest and cheapest way," she said.

"I also get local information for the crew so when they get here, if they want to know where to hire a car or find a doctor, I can tell them."

Fanstone has herself competed in two round-the-world races - she was on Heineken in 1993-94 and on EF Education 1997-98.

Shore crews range in size from six to about 12 people, but when their boat is in port, sailors and shore crew are all involved.

News Corp's boat manager, Olivier Allard, from France, joked that the worst part of his job was when the boat arrived, and the best part was when it left.

"When they arrive we panic, have some coffee and some nicotine, and then panic some more," he said.

On arrival, the boat was checked for damage, then emptied and cleaned.

"Everything that is not attached to the boat comes off," he said. "It is cleaned, then everything is checked and repairs made."

Amer Sports' Ilan Graetz, from Italy, has the job of looking after two boats - Amer Sports One and Too.

"The race is becoming more and more professional, so there is more money involved and possibly more people working to get the boats ready for these tough conditions," he said.

Tyco shore manager Ian Stewart, of Auckland, said that being in port was like a race car pit-stop.

It is Stewart's first stint as a shore manager after sailing on Tokio and Merit Cup.

Tyco's shore team were tested when their boat broke its rudder in the second leg from Cape Town to Sydney, forcing it to retire.

"I had left Cape Town and was going to have a few days off in New Zealand, but I was hardly here 24 hours before I was on the next flight back after news of the broken rudder.

"The boat was late to Sydney, which loaded us up with more work, which we are just starting to catch up with now."

He said gear failure often occurred after maintenance, so it was vital that the boat was packed and tested before departure.

News Corp nutritional coordinator Jan van der Lee, of Auckland, has the job of organising the food for each leg.

"It is important that they get enough calories, as their output is huge," she said.

Roast chicken, vegetables, mashed potatoes, chili con carne, spaghetti Bolognaise and rice risotto are all on the menu.

"Most guys lose two to three kilos each leg, but on the first leg, the most weight lost was 7kg, which was too much. I have increased the food since then."

Though she is under pressure from syndicate head and navigator Ross Field to keep the weight down, she does sneak in a few treats.

"Just a chocolate bar or a packet of curly snakes. Weight is an issue, but my argument is that nutrition drives the boat."

While the boats are in the Viaduct they are under the watchful eye of Jim Butterworth, director of the New Zealand Investigation Bureau.

He said: "People are pretty good. They just like to see the boats, rather than cause any problems."