Queen of Pro Surfing Courtney Conlogue drops in on Dongfeng

One of the world’s female surfing superstars got a taste of the high life with Dongfeng Race Team yesterday when she climbed 99ft to take in the view from the top of the team’s mast. And she loved it.

American pro surfer Courtney Conlogue dropped in on the Chinese Volvo Ocean Race team in Lisbon where the crew, led by Frenchman Charles Caudrelier, is making its final preparations for the Volvo Ocean Race starting on October 22.

After a short sail with the team sponsored by China’s Dongfeng Motor Corporation, Conlogue, 25, currently world number two in the women’s World Surf League, leapt at the chance to go up the rig.

“I had the opportunity to climb a mast for the first time which was absolutely incredible,” said super-fit Conlogue who started surfing at the age of four.

“I loved it, it was such a great experience. I didn’t know how I’d take to walking up, or climbing, 99 feet in the air above a racing boat but it was the best view of Lisbon by far,” added Conlogue.

The surfer was given the chance to learn about the offshore racing universe with the Dongfeng Race Team crew before she continues her bid for the outright title in the World Surf League in Les Landes in France this Saturday.

“It was great to spend time with Dongfeng Race Team sailors before they race around the world. It is really cool to see what life is like on the Volvo Ocean Race and the processes behind the scenes, I learned a lot,” she added.

Accompanied by his international and mixed male and female crew, Caudrelier is preparing for eight months of extreme racing in the world’s longest professional competition.

The team will sail approximately 45,000 nautical miles (83,000 kilometres) in total, over 11 legs as it battles for the Volvo Ocean Race trophy against six rival crews on a round the world course that will take them through the Southern Ocean and round Cape Horn.

“For sure it is great to share our lives and our sport with great athletes like Courtney,” said Caudrelier.

“As sailors who love being on the water and near the sea, we also love to get out and surf, although obviously not at the same level,” he added.

Born in California and a child prodigy of American surfing, Conlogue has placed number two in the women’s world ranking since 2015. As with the sailors in Dongfeng Race Team, her performance depends on intense physical training, perfect technique, unfailing mental resilience and the requisite humility when faced with the power of the ocean.

“I loved listening to all her stories about big waves and being out on the water - we have some things in common for sure”, commented French Vendée Globe racer and Dongfeng Race Team sailor, Jérémie Beyou.

Dutch female sailing star Carolijn Brouwer, one of two women among the 12-strong Dongfeng Race Team squad, was delighted to show Conlogue around the team’s immaculate red and white Volvo Ocean 65.

“Like us, Courtney is someone who lives on an adrenaline buzz. She is obviously not scared of heights either because we put her up the mast and she felt quite comfortable up there and left us a little good luck message,” said Brouwer.

“It was great to have her on board. She is very comfortable on the water and it was nice to share our lives and our sport with her,” added Brouwer.

Today’s on-the-water session off the Portuguese capital took place in easy conditions and light winds, a far cry from the ferocious storms that the Dongfeng crew will contend with in the Southern Ocean.

With Conlogue lending a hand, the crew had the chance to trial new sails which will be used from Sunday in the non-scoring but compulsory official Volvo Ocean Race Prologue between Lisbon and Alicante (Spain).