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Volvo crewman finds new team

Gunderson: I wanted to finish the Volvo

AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Jon Gunderson, former News Corp crew, is to join Team SEB for the next leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, marking the first cross team change of the race.

Gunderson, who arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil last week, told MadforSailing.com: "I'm happy to be back. It has always been my goal to do the race and to be back is fantastic.

"I'm very thankful to Gurra [skipper Gunnar "Gurra" Krantz] for his giving me a chance to come and join SEB, I'm very happy to be a member of the team."

It was announced during the Auckland stopover Gunderson would no longer be a part of Jez Fanstone's News Corp crew.

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His departure from the team is unknown, but the New Zealander had cheerful words for the crew: "I've got very good friends on News Corp – some of my friends on News Corp are my best friends so I wish them the best of luck."

Completing the race was very important for Gunderson, who missed the Southern Ocean leg - one of the main reasons sailors compete in the race.

"Obviously I've enjoyed every second of the race so far, so when it became clear I wasn't sailing with News Corp I started looking elsewhere. I wanted to finish the Volvo. I wasn't considering doing anything else unless there was no opportunity left," he said.

Although Gunderson realises Team SEB is effectively out of the running for overall honours, he still expects some good results between Auckland and the finish in Kiel, Germany.

"We're going to be chasing hard on individual legs, get some wins, second, thirds. Put the cat amongst the pigeons so to speak," he said.

He joins Team SEB as a trimmer, replacing Frenchman Pascal Bidegorry who was on board for leg four only.