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Volvo boats prepare for leg five

Amer Sports One

AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Several teams in the Volvo Ocean Race have made crew changes ahead of the fifth leg from Rio de Janiero, Brazil to Miami, Florida.

Neal McDonald's ASSA ABLOY announced three changes to its crew, Knut Frostad's Djuice four and Grant Dalton's Amer Sports One and Lisa McDonald's Amer Sports Too both said they would make a single change.

ASSA ABLOY said Mike Howard from America's Cup challenger Oracle Racing will join the team and Jason Carrington and Chris Larson will both rejoin the team.

The new crew list from Jez Fanstone's News Corp adds Matt Humphries from Team SEB and Peter 'Spike' Doriean from Djuice.

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Nick White, on board meteorologist for News Corp, steps aside for this leg to make a space for Spike while Humphries steps on board as Watch Captain in place of Jeff Scott who left the boat almost as soon as he stepped foot on dry land last month, www.MadforSailing.com reported.

On board Djuice, Espen Guttormsen is set to return after having spent the last month recovering from a poisoned knee. Frenchmen Franck Proffit and Herve Cunningham are also joining the team.

Dave Jarvis, who has been part of the sail-making team with Djuice for the last year, will be replacing Spike Doriean whose departure was not planned.

Dee Smith returns to Amer Sports One after having missed leg four due to a shoulder operation.

Amer Sports Too is replacing Carolijn Brouwer with Melissa Purdy, marking the second time the two have switched places with each other. Brouwer sailed the tougher Southern Ocean legs.

It was announced on Monday Jon Gunderson, former News Corp crew, would be joining Team SEB for leg five.