Overall Leaderboard: 1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA): 114.5 points 2. PUMA (Ken Read/USA): 105.5 points 3. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED): 98.0 points 4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE): 78.5 points 5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR): 67.0 points 6. Telefónica Black FernandoEchávarri/ESP): 58.0 points 7. Delta Lloyd (RobertoBérmudez/ESP): 41.5 points 8. Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT): 10.5 pointsYou will also find feature stories, images and video on: Event website
For overall scores Click here
June 25, 2009. PUMA, who is now assured second place overall, led the Volvo fleet out of Sandhamn, on the outer edge of the Stockholm archipelago today - a spectacular day where conditions were perfect for the start of the tenth and final leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 to St Petersburg in Russia.
Sailing confidently in 10-12 knots of breeze, PUMA, Telefónica Blue and Ericsson 4 were the front runners off the start line and a huge spectator crowd needed no excuse to get out on the water and watch what these ocean greyhounds do best. A steady breeze and flat water ensured plenty of white water spilled from the bows as the boats started a leg for the last time, fully powered up and under a cloudless sky.
Leading round both buoys marking the traditional 'sausage' before heading to out to sea, the crew of PUMA had set the black boat up perfectly and extended their lead, while behind, Bouwe Bekking's bowmen wrestled with their heavy code zero sail, which had remained furled and unused on the bow and was slowing the blue boat down. Green Dragon scorched past overall race winner Ericsson 4, who had the pressure put on by sister ship Ericsson 3, while Telefónica Black and Delta Lloyd were in the second string.
Team Russia joined the pack once the racing fleet had completed the inshore loop, to sail, but not to race, homewards to St Petersburg, with owner Oleg Zherebtsov working the bow as he did in the earlier legs of the race.
Although speeds were good as the fleet left Sweden behind, the leg is expected to be predominantly upwind to Russia and race rules allow for Race Director, Jack Lloyd, to shorten the 400-mile course if necessary. The fleet must arrive in St Petersburg on Saturday morning in order to clear customs and pass through two bridges, which will be raised specially in order to let the fleet into the historic city.
PUMA has now clinched second place overall, their performance improving hugely in the second half of the race. Telefónica Blue will take third after losing the battle for second when they finished last in leg nine after going aground in Marstrand, while Ericsson 4 is the runaway leader, winning the race with a leg to spare.
Overall Leaderboard: 1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA): 110.5 points 2. PUMA (Ken Read/USA): 98.5 points 3. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED): 92.0 points 4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE): 73.5 points 5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR): 64.0 points 6. Telefónica Black FernandoEchávarri/ESP): 50.0 points 7. Delta Lloyd (RobertoBérmudez/ESP): 39.5 points 8. Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT): 10.5 pointsPositions are updated every three hours on: Race tracking
You will also find the latest news, feature stories, images and video on: Event website
For overall scores Click here
"We made a few errors on the leg, but we got what we wanted so we're pretty happy," said Ericsson 4 skipper Torben Grael. "We were very close in Marstrand, but now it's done. It's finished. We can really enjoy it."
It was a good night for PUMA as well. After a fearsome catfight with the crew of Stockholm-based Ericsson 3, whose crew wanted a win here in front of their home crowd more than anything, PUMA stole victory on the finish line tonight in Sandhamn (an island in the Stockholm archipelago just east of the capital city), and claimed full points for Volvo Ocean Race leg nine.
Today's win was PUMA's first leg victory in this 10-leg race, although they have had a good showing during the in-port racing. Their score of 95 points so far strengthens their second place overall at this stage of the event.
Fourth, fifth and six spots were filled by Telefónica Black, Green Dragon and Delta Lloyd.
Leg Nine Finishing Order Stockholm 1. PUMA 2. Ericsson 3 3. Ericsson 4 4. Telefónica Black 5. Green Dragon 6. Delta Lloyd 7. Telefónica Blue SUSPENDED RACING 8. Team Russia DNS Overall Leaderboard 1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA): 108.0 points 2. PUMA (Ken Read/USA): 95.0 points 3. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED): SUSPENDED RACING 86.0 points 4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE): 71.5 points 5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR): 63.0 points 6. Telefónica Black (FernandoEchávarri/ESP): 47.0 points 7. Delta Lloyd (RobertoBérmudez/ESP): 38.0 points 8. Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT): 10.5 pointsPositions are updated every three hours on: Race tracking
You will also find the latest news, feature stories, images and video on: Event website
For overall scores Click here
June 14 2009. Drama today in Marstrand as Telefónica Blue/Bouwe Bekking became wedged on a rock and suspended racing at 1231GMT while leading the fleet at the start of leg nine to Stockholm.
The boat hit the rock while racing at around 14 knots of boatspeed and is hard aground in one-metre swells. The team immediately dropped the sails, but the boat's keel is firmly wedged within the rocks whilst the rest of the fleet is sailing away. A pilot boat and the coastguards are standing by and attempting to tow the boat clear. All the crew are unhurt.
Telefónica Blue was first across the start line, but PUMA quickly established a lead of around 10 boat lengths and Ken Read tacked a few metres away from the rocks, where the spectators enjoyed a grandstand view.
Ian Walker took Green Dragon in to a very light patch of breeze immediately after the start and the crew unfurled their enormous code zero fleet as they headed towards the spectator fleet on the right hand side of the course.
Out on the left, PUMA and Delta Lloyd had plenty of wind and for the first 20 minutes of this inshore lap, the left side of the course continued to pay very well, but the breeze was dying all the way across the racecourse.
A big lumpy swell made it difficult for the teams drive the boats in just five to six knots of wind and it was painful to watch as the boats came to a shuddering halt on every wave. The new breeze, when it came, filled in on the right hand side of the course and Green Dragon with the luck of the Irish, and had the first taster of the eight or nine knots of breeze, giving them the advantage in the approach to the first turning mark.
They took the lead followed one boat length behind by Telefónica Blue. PUMA and Ericsson 3 made up the top four, while Telefónica Black, Delta Lloyd and, unusually, Torben Grael and Ericsson 4 were the second string.
This is the second time that such a disaster has befallen Telefónica Blue. The team struck a rock in Qingdao just before the start of leg five and the boat had to return to Qingdao to be hauled out for damage inspection.
Positions are updated every three hours on: Race tracking
You will also find the latest news, feature stories, images and video on: Event website
For overall scores Click here
Although Ericsson 4's overall lead now seems unassailable (102 points overall), with just two legs to go until the finish of the race in St Petersburg later this month, the battle for second place has intensified. Bouwe Bekking's fourth place on this leg has caused the Telefónica Blue team to lose their second place overall to PUMA (87 points overall) and they now trail by one point.
The Volvo fleet is now safely moored in Marstrand. Finishing further down the order were Telefónica Blue (4th), who now slips to third place overall, Delta Lloyd who stole points on the finish line for fifth place from one-time leg leader Telefónica Black, and Ericsson 3 who finished in seventh.
The stop in Marstrand is brief, and, as a 'pit-stop', any repairs that need to be carried out to the boats will have to be done by the already exhausted crews themselves as shore crew assistance in a pit-stop is against the rules. The fleet leaves Marstrand for Stockholm on Sunday 14 June.
Leg Eight Finishing Order Marstrand: 1. Ericsson 4 2. PUMA 3. Green Dragon 4. Telefónica Blue 5. Delta Lloyd 6. Telefónica Black 7. Ericsson 3Event website
June 6, 2009. Hometown boat, Green Dragon, made a fantastic start today as the Volvo Ocean Race fleet left Galway Bay on the 1250 nm sprint leg to Marstrand in Sweden. It was a great reward for the huge crowds of well wishers, who filled every available space in Galway in order to cheer their home team on.
After a hugely successful stopover - the first time the Volvo Ocean Race has visited Ireland - 20 knots of gusty offshore breeze was on offer today and, in the most wind yet for any of the Volvo leg starts, spinnakers were set for a fast downwind start at 1500 local time (1400 GMT).
The fleet sailed the usual two leg loop of approximately four nautical miles, before setting off through the Aran Islands and down the west coast of Ireland and out into the Celtic Sea towards the Fastnet Rock, which although a mark of the course, is not a scoring gate.
Ian Walker's Green Dragon revelled in the heavy breeze and flat water, which suited her perfectly and once clear of the start line, she overhauled Telefónica Black doing 19 knots, to take the lead at the first turning mark.
Sailing beautifully, starting in mid-field, Ericsson 4 out-muscled Telefónica Blue and fought off Green Dragon to take the lead after rounding the mark in second place and setting off up the beat towards the windward mark.
At the mark, Ericsson 4 had taken control and hoisted her spinnaker for the second time, followed by Green Dragon who kept the pressure on, Telefónica Blue, PUMA and Telefónica Black. Further back were Ericsson 3 and Delta Lloyd.
Telefónica Blue momentarily lost ground to PUMA when her spinnaker hoisted with a twist in it as the fleet blazed down Galway Bay with an increasing breeze and a building sea state and headed towards the Aran Islands.
Today saw a great display by Ericsson 4, but what a performance by Ian Walker and his men on Green Dragon, ensuring that the hometown crowds had a lot to cheer about, and a terrific battle for third between Telefónica Blue and PUMA.
The game changes now for this largely coastal leg of 1250 nm, full of shipping, tidal gates, shallows and sandbanks. The course takes the fleet south around the UK, up the English Channel and out into the North Sea, where they will race around a loop set off the Hook of Holland before heading to the finish in Marstrand, Sweden on or around 11 June.
Overall Leaderboard: 1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA): 94.0 points 2. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED): 81.0 points 3. PUMA (Ken Read/USA): 80.0 points 4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE): 62.5 points 5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR): 53.0 points 6. Telefónica Black (FernandoEchávarri/ESP): 39.0 points 7. Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bérmudez/ESP): 31.0 points 8. Team Russia* (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT): 10.5 points * Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNSPositions are updated every three hours on: Race tracking
You will also find the latest news, feature stories, images and video on: Event website
For overall scores Click here
Leg Six Finishing Order Galway: 1. Ericsson 4: 8 points 2. PUMA: 7 points 3. Green Dragon: 6 points 4. Telefónica Blue: 5 points 5. Delta Lloyd: 4 points 6. Telefónica Black: 3 points 7. Ericsson 3: 2 points Overall Leaderboard (Provisional): 1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) 92.0 points (FINISHED) 2. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) 77.5 points (FINISHED) 3. PUMA (Ken Read/USA) 76.0 points (FINISHED) 4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE) 60.0 points (FINISHED) 5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) 52.0 points (FINISHED) 6. Telefónica Black (FernandoEchávarri/ESP) 36.0 points (FINISHED) 7. Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bérmudez/ESP) 29.5 points (FINISHED) 8. Team Russia 10.5 points (DNS) Scoring Gate Order 1. Telefónica Blue 2. PUMA 3. Ericsson 4 4. Ericsson 3 5. Telefónica Black 6. Delta Lloyd 7. Green DragonVolvo Web Page
May 16, 2009. Close action as Telefónica Blue leads at start of Leg Seven
After a short postponement the last open ocean leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 got underway today, starting right off the race village at Fan Pier, Downtown Boston.
There was some confusion around the time of the postponement which led to four boats racing half the first beat of the inshore course before turning back to restart 20 minutes later.
After the gun fired, the seven-strong fleet split immediately with PUMA (Ken Read/USA ) looking really strong on port tack, followed by Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bérmudez/ESP), Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) and Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA), while Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE), Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) and Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) opted for a starboard tack start.
Fog descended on the course as Telefónica Blue screamed up through the fleet to lead round the first mark, followed by Telefónica Black, Green Dragon, PUMA, Ericson 3 and Ericsson 4. As the fleet approached the mark, a large freighter hove into view. The leaders had a clear rounding, but Delta Lloyd was forced to alter course by the ship and rounded in last place.
While the two Telefónica boats showed a clean pair of heels to the rest of the fleet, PUMA ate into Green Dragon's margin and Ericsson 4 put pressure on PUMA.
At the second turning mark the two Telefónica, Blue and Black, led the fleet. PUMA stole third place from Green Dragon as they nipped inside at the mark, followed by Ericsson 4. Ericsson 3 sailed Œthrough the eye of the needle¹ between PUMA and Green Dragon as the fleet dropped their spinnakers and flew headsails for the final leg of the course.
As the fleet sailed back towards the gate at the start line off Fan Pier, the freighter reappeared and the coastguards ushered the fleet away from it, the drama unfolding right in front of the huge crowd of spectators watching the racing from the shoreline.
The final order as the fleet left Boston and disappeared into the mist heading for Galway in Ireland, was Telefónica Blue, Telefónica Black, PUMA and overall race leader Ericsson 4.
The first boat is scheduled to arrive in Galway one week from today, but first the fleet has to cope with ice further south than normal, a scoring gate off the island of Newfoundland, a whale exclusion zone just off Boston, and an ice exclusion zone in the shape of a pouch hanging to the east and south of Newfoundland.
It this isn't enough to keep the minds of the 77 sailors occupied, in 2005-06 on this Atlantic leg Bouwe Bekking and his crew had to abandon their yacht movistar and were rescued by the crew of ABN AMRO TWO who, days before, had had to cope with the loss of crewman Hans Horrevoets who drowned after being washed over the side.
The 2,550nm leg seven to Galway promises to give the seven competing crews plenty to think about.
Overall Leaderboard
1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) 81.0 points 2. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) 68.5 points 3. PUMA (Ken Read/USA) 65.5 points 4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE) 55.5 points 5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) 45.0 points 6. Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) 31.0 points 7. Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bérmudez ESP) 24.0 points 8. Team Russia 10.5 points (DNS)Race reports are issued daily to the media at 1300 GMT by email while the fleet is at sea; however, positions are updated every three hours on www.volvooceanrace.org where you will also find the latest news, feature stories, images and video.
Green Dragon finished leg six of the Volvo Ocean Race at 16:08 GMT, after 15 days, 22 hours, 8 minutes and 10 seconds at sea.
It was another tough leg for Ian Walker and his crew on Green Dragon who crossed the finish today in Boston at 14:08 GMT in seventh place, after suffering a knockdown in a heavy gust yesterday.
"We've been looking forward to Boston for a long time," said skipper Ian Walker, "It's the first step to Galway if you like. What a perfect day, spinnaker up all the way down the river, the sun's out, there are worse things in the world."
"I'm just pleased we had a bit of a race of it. We had a few little opportunities and we got within a few hours of other boats, and as you saw with Telefónica Black, you can make up some miles. But we had a terrible night last night - no wind at all, just flapping around - we're just lucky we had enough wind to get in here today."
"We don't give up until the other boats have crossed the finishing line. There's always hope."
"I just had a chat with the lads at the end and I said, 'a lot of crews wouldn't still be together after the tough last leg, running out of food and the problems we've had to overcome, and then this leg, finishing last and slipping further and further behind on the long reaching sequence...' But I think the fact that we're all here, we're all smiling, that speaks volumes."
"It's funny how your concept of scale changes. I used to think sailing across the English Channel was a long way. Now, when I got in the Atlantic, I thought I was nearly home. I'd never done a transatlantic before this race, but now Galway doesn't seem far away at all."
It is the first time that the Volvo Ocean Race has stopped in Boston and the seven crews will now be able to have good recuperation period in Fan Pier before the in-port race on 9 May. The start of leg seven, on 16 May, will take the fleet 2,550 nm back across the Atlantic and into Galway, Ireland, another new port for this edition of race.
Leg Six Finishing Order Boston 1. Ericsson 4: 8 points 2. Ericsson 3: 7 points 3. Telefónica Blue: 6 points 4. PUMA: 5 points 5. Telefónica Black:4 points 6. Delta Lloyd: 3 points 7. Green Dragon: 2 points Overall Leaderboard (Provisional) 1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) 77.5 points (FINISHED) 2. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) 64.5 points (FINISHED) 3. PUMA (Ken Read/USA) 64.0 points (FINISHED) 4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE) 53.0 points (FINISHED) 5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) 44.0 points (FINISHED) 6. Telefónica Blue Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP)29.0 points (FINISHED) 7. Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bérmudez/ESP) 21.0 points (FINISHED) 8. Team Russia 10.5 points (DNS) Scoring Gate Results Fernando de Noronha 1. Telefónica Blue 19:58:56 GMT 16.04.09 4.0 Points 2. Ericsson 4 22:55:36 GMT 16.04.09 3.5 Points 3. Delta Lloyd 23:28:32 GMT 16.04.09 3.0 Points 4. Puma 23:29:31 GMT 16.04.09 2.5 Points 5. Telefónica Black 23:42:20 GMT 16.04.09 2.0 Points 6. Ericsson 3 00:14:28 GMT 17.04.09 1.5 Points 7. Green Dragon 01:27:26 GMT 17.04.09 1.0 PointVolvo Web Page
April 26, 2009. Leg Six Finishing Order Boston:
1. Ericsson 4: 8 points 2. Ericsson 3: 7 points 3. Telefónica Blue: 6 points 4. PUMA: 5 points Overall Leaderboard (Provisional) 1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) 77.5 points (FINISHED) 2. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) 64.5 points (FINISHED) 3. PUMA (Ken Read/USA) 64.0 points (FINISHED ) 4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE) 53.0 points (FINISHED) 5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) 42.0 points (RACING) 6. Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) 25.0 points (RACING) 7. Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bérmudez/ESP) 18.0 points (RACING) 8. Team Russia 10.5 points (DNS) Scoring Gate Results Fernando de Noronha 1. Telefónica Blue 19:58:56 GMT 16.04.09 4.0 Points 2. Ericsson 4 22:55:36 GMT 16.04.09 3.5 Points 3. Delta Lloyd 23:28:32 GMT 16.04.09 3.0 Points 4. PUMA 23:29:31 GMT 16.04.09 2.5 Points 5. Telefónica Black 23:42:20 GMT 16.04.09 2.0 Points 6. Ericsson 3 00:14:28 GMT 17.04.09 1.5 Points 7. Green Dragon 01:27:26 GMT 17.04.09 1.0 PointCurrent Fleet Positions
April 16, 2009 It's close-quarter combat among the Volvo Ocean Race fleet in the South Atlantic on Leg 6 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Boston, United States. Light breezes have prevented fast sailing, with the trade winds failing to live up to their reputation and squalls playing havoc with the skippers' strategy. Little divides a tightly-bunched pack in the early stages of the 4,900-mile journey from Brazil to the east coast of the United States. Telefonica Blue was the early pacesetter ahead of overall race leader Ericsson 4, with Delta Lloyd making a very promising start. Click for videos
March 29. At 03:55 GMT, in the early hours (00:55 local time) of a rainy Sunday morning, Telefónica Blue eased across the finish line off the Marina da Gloria in Rio de Janeiro to take fifth place in leg five of the Volvo Ocean Race.
The elapsed time for leg five for Telefónica Blue was a daunting 42 days, 22 hours and 55 minutes.
This wasn't the way it was supposed to be for skipper Bouwe Bekking/NED and his team. Following two consecutive leg wins, Tom Addis was promoted from strategist to navigator. And after changing to larger rudders for this leg, the Telefónica Blue squad had high hopes of closing the gap with the front-running Ericsson 4.
But before the race had started, the team ran aground on a submerged rock outside the harbour in Qingdao. Skipper Bekking quickly made the decision not to take the start and instead Telefónica Blue returned to the Olympic harbour in Qingdao where the boat was hauled out for the damage to be assessed.
In the event, there was no structurally significant damage and the team resumed racing just shy of 19 hours after the start of the leg. From then onwards, the Telefónica Blue was on the back foot.
They fought hard to get back into the mix with the rest of the fleet, but 20 days into the leg, a broken forestay forced the team to make heroic efforts to save the mast from tumbling down, but at that point, their competitive hopes in leg five were all but extinguished as the team was restricted to using smaller headsails.
A late charge on the final section of the race course brought the team within hours of fourth-placed Green Dragon, but to no avail - four points, from a fifth place finish drops the team to third place on the overall leaderboard behind Ericsson 4 and PUMA.
"I think we have a really good chance actually," Bekking said when asked about the impact of this leg on the overall leaderboard. "I think Ericsson 4 will be scratching their heads a little bit because they haven't been winning the last three legs. They are definitely beatable I think."
Leg Five Finishing Order Rio de Janeiro 1. Ericsson 3 8 points 2. Ericsson 4 7 points 3. PUMA 6 points 4. Green Dragon 5 points 5. Telefónica Blue 4 points Overall Leaderboard (Provisional): 1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) 63.5 points (FINISHED) 2. PUMA (Ken Read/USA) 53 points (FINISHED) 3. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) 50.5 points (FINISHED) 4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE) 43.5 points (FINISHED) 5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) 39.5 points (FINISHED) 6. Telefónica Black 21 points (DNS) 7. Delta Lloyd 12 points (DNS) 8. Team Russia 10.5 points (DNS)Current Fleet Positions
March 27. Ken Read/USA guided PUMA over the finish line this morning in Rio de Janeiro at 0427 GMT (0127 local) to claim the third podium place on leg five of the Volvo Ocean Race, a result good enough for Read to retain second position in the race overall at this halfway stage.
Ken Read and his team now have 53 points on the scoreboard having added six leg points and six gate points to their tally. This keeps them in second place, but only a whisker ahead Telefónica Blue, whose total will be 50.5 points at the end of this leg, assuming they hold their current position. Even if Telefónica Blue should beat Green Dragon on this leg, which now seems unlikely, it will not affect PUMA's overall second place standing in the race.
Read is skippering an entry in the event for the first time, and on this leg he had his first taste of the Southern Ocean and the experience of rounding Cape Horn. On reaching the dock in the Marina da Gloria, Read said: "It was a really long race. I wondered if we would end up having to try and pace ourselves, but the fact is, there's no such thing. If you try to pace yourself, you just lose, so you can't." The team recorded an elapsed time of 40 days 23 hours 26 minutes 60 seconds.
On the approach to the finish, Read wrote, "We will have this experience to look back on forever, although I don't think the magnitude of this leg will really sink in until after the completion of the race. Where we have been, what we have seen, the laughs, the frustration, the hardships are the moments in time that one can never forget - none of it can be taken away."
Throughout the leg, PUMA was consistently in the top three, only dropping to fourth momentarily and on three occasions leading the fleet. From day 24, 9 March, they settled into third place and held that right through to the finish today.
Leg Five Finishing Order Rio: 1. Ericsson 3: 8 points 2. Ericsson 4: 7 points 3. PUMA: 6 points Overall Leaderboard (Provisional) 1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) 63.5 points (FINISHED) 2. PUMA (Ken Read/USA) 53 points (FINISHED) 3. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) 46.5 points (RACING) 4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE) 43.5 points (FINISHED) 5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) 34.5 (RACING) 6. Telefónica Black 21 (DNS) 7. Delta Lloyd 12 (DNS) 8. Team Russia 10.5 (DNS)Current Fleet Positions
March 26, 2009. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Ericsson Racing Team yacht Ericsson 3, skippered by Magnus Olsson, closed out the long and arduous Leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race when it placed first here this morning at 0737 local (1037 GMT).
The Nordic crew overcame a late start seven hours behind the fleet and has been on the water for more than 43 days to win their first leg of the 2008-'09 race. Their elapsed time for the 12,300-nautical mile leg was 40 days, 5 hours, 37 minutes and 57 seconds.
The Nordic crew for Leg 5 included skipper and watch captain Olsson (Stockholm, Sweden), navigator Aksel Magdahl (Oslo, Norway), watch captain Thomas Johanson (Helsinki, Finland), helmsmen/trimmers Eivind Melleby (Oslo), Arve Roaas (Tonsberg, Norway), Martin Strömberg (Gothenburg, Sweden) and Magnus Wøxen (Stockholm), boat captain Jens Dolmer (Nyköbing Falster, Denmark), bowmen Anders Dahlsjö (Onsala, Sweden) and Martin Krite (Lund, Sweden) and media crewman Gustav Morin (Stockholm).
"It's hard to describe my feelings. Everyone is proud and happy with the victory," said Olsson, the 60-year-old skipper. "It was more of a team effort than I've ever been associated with in yachting. Individually, we're not as strong as Ericsson 4 or Puma. But collectively, we're a great team."
Ericsson 3 earned 8 points for the win and totaled 15.5 points on the leg (from a maximum of 16) by also placing first and second at the two scoring gates. Ericsson 3 moved solidly into fourth place with 43.5 points after the highly successful leg.
"It has been a big leg, too big to get philosophic about now," said Magdahl, the 30-year-old navigator who made the bold tactical call on Mar. 4 that would put Ericsson 3 in the lead.
"But one thing is for sure; that everyone gave their best the whole way and you can see now how impressed everyone is with the other team members," Magdahl said.
Leg 5 began in Qingdao, China, on Feb. 14, but for Ericsson 3 it began three days earlier on Feb. 11. That's when the Nordic crew set off from Taiwan to complete Leg 4 into China. Ericsson 3 was forced to pull into Taiwan on Jan. 27 with hull damage. The boat was out of action for two weeks while the hull was repaired.
As Ericsson 3 approached the finish of Leg 4 on Feb. 14, the short-handed crew passed the three boats that took the start of Leg 5. Soon after crossing the finish line, Ericsson 3 made a beeline for the dock, where the crew swapped sails, added crewmembers, food, fuel, assorted spares and extra clothing, all in seven hours, and then turned around and headed back out to sea.
"Once again a big thanks, to everyone who has supported us along the way," said Magdahl. "This is a team victory. We owe huge thanks to everyone that contributed on all areas within the team to get us to the start line for this leg!"
Riding a big blow out of China, Ericsson 3 quickly rejoined the fleet and by the third day was back in its customary third place on the leaderboard. Ericsson 3 has placed third on three of the previous legs, but this time that standing would improve.
Ericsson 3 on Mar. 4 cleared the first scoring gate at latitude 36 South in second place, about 30 minutes behind leader Ericsson 4. Then, moments later, the crew surprised armchair tacticians around the world when it made a tack to the northeast, back across the scoring line and towards an area of low pressure.
The move was admired for its brazenness. Rarely has a boat split from the pack during this race when it is in solid position. Ericsson 3 made the move without thinking twice.
"The true story is that Aksel saw the opportunity many days before the scoring gate," said Olsson. "He was well prepared. He saw it develop. When he presented the idea, it felt like he had thought it through."
"I'm proud of that decision," said Magdahl, "because I could contribute to the team effort. Walking around and seeing how happy everyone is, it's a team thing. There's a lot of joy right now."
Ericsson 3 took the lead on Mar. 7, and then played it smart across the Southern Ocean, pushing when it had to and backing off other times.
"One of the hardest days was one night in Southern Ocean," said Johanson, the watch captain. "Ericsson 4 had gained quite a lot. I was on watch with Bagi (Wøxen) and thought we need to push a bit. The wind was blowing 35 to 40 knots. In that four-hour watch we averaged 26 knots boatspeed and gained back 8 miles on Ericsson 4. That was memorable."
Johanson also has fond memories of being aboard the yacht that led the fleet past Cape Horn. It was his first time around the Horn, but the fourth time a Johanson has rounded it.
"My grandfather went around the Horn in 1901, and his father and mother before him," said Johanson. "It's been a childhood dream to round the Horn."
When the crew led around Cape Horn on Mar. 17, it looked like they would need six days to make the finish in Rio. Instead, it's taken the better part of nine days to complete the final 2,200 nautical miles.
"I knew it could fall apart, but always felt we'd pull it out," said Magdahl. "With that large a high-pressure area, there's always the chance someone could come right up to us. We just had to keep sailing our optimum route."
At the time of the Nordic crew's finish teammate Ericsson 4 was still in Stealth Mode. The International crew went into hiding yesterday afternoon at 1600 GMT. They'll emerge from Stealth at either 1600 GMT today or when they are 50 nautical miles from the finish.
February 19. Video: Goodbye China
After 13 days at sea, the team finally crossed the finish at 12:42 GMT (20:42 LT) to a huge welcome from their Chinese home crowd. There were over 500 Chinese drummers lining the dock and hundreds of Green Dragon fans, all waiting to catch a glimpse of the crew and their local sailor Guo Chuan's arrival.
Although this leg has been a war of attrition for Green Dragon and others in the seven-boat fleet, skipper Ian Walker has always said that he and his team would keep fighting until there were no other options. "It is amazing to reach Qingdao and what a reception!" said Walker. "When we broke the boat and turned around, I am so proud of what the crew did and they allowed us to nurse the boat up here. We sailed very carefully nowhere near 100% but I said whatever happened we had to get to Qingdao. So it is great we are here and I kept my promise to everyone."
January 29. It's a Win for Telefónica Blue - Leg Four.
Video of Leg Four Finish - Telefónica Blue/ESP wining First Place
Video of Leg Four Finish - USA Puma 'steals' Second Place
Unbelievable effort as Puma finishes second on Leg Four: Kenny Read/USA, guided PUMA through the finish of Volvo Ocean Race leg four in Qingdao, China today at 0817 GMT (1617 local time) to claim second place after an unbelievable effort, which saw the team break their boom and drop anchor in the Philippines order to make repairs.
On arrival in Qingdao, PUMA's skipper, Kenny Read said:
"Our crew really became a team on this leg. We have really found our legs. After our problems we came back with an unbelievable effort. We came together. There were many times when I was sat behind the computer, looking for safe havens. It was always at the back of my mind, if we needed to go to a safe place quickly".
"All of us have used storm sails, but none of us has had to do it three separate times on one leg. Even with that, we almost had too much sail area, but last night was the best night of sailing we had on the leg".
PUMA's navigator, Andrew Cape/AUS, a veteran of three Whitbread/Volvo Races, added: "It was a not very pleasant course, but we had to do it. We threw the lead to survive and we came second in the end. It was nasty with lots of wind and big seas and there seemed to always be a rock in the way. It was the most difficult leg I have ever done."
Torben Grael brought Ericsson 4 alongside just under an hour later, to claim six points for third place. Grael said: "This leg has been very hard on the boats, but our boat has taken it well and at least we got here, but you are never sure. The crew has been perfect. The weather has been better than expected, and the temperature only dropped in the last few hours, when it became very cold, so we had good wind all the way in.
"I think we all want to win, but we all wanted to get here in one piece. We had lots of trouble with fishing boats and nets, we had to back down three times and there were so many boats out there. But it is the way it goes, you win some you lose some. I feel bad for the other boats. I was in that position last race and I know how it feels. It is hard for the sailors."
Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) is still racing, with 347 miles to go, and is anticipated to finish in fourth position on 31 January. In a leg that has been full of drama, bravery and courage, Bouwe Bekking and his men racing Telefónica Blue have pulled off their second leg win in a row to take first place on the podium in Qingdao, China, after sailing immaculately.
Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) took the third spot at 0904 GMT (1704 local time):
Leg Four Finishing Order Qingdao 1. Telefónica Blue/ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) 8 points 2. PUMA/USA (Ken Read/USA) 7 points 3. Ericsson 4/SWE (Torben Grael) 6 points Overall Leaderboard - Provisional: Ericsson 4: 45 (FINISHED) Telefónica Blue: 41.5 (FINISHED) PUMA: 38 (FINISHED) Green Dragon: 22.5 (RACING)Teams that have suspended or retired from this leg will be assigned points by the race committee at a later date.
Ericsson 3: SUS Delta Lloyd: SUS Telefónica Black: DNF Team Russia: DNSCurrent Fleet Positions
January 29. Leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race heats up in cold temperatures as only 1 mile separates Ericsson 4 and PUMA while teams battle through strong winds, waves and fishing nets. Podium places are set to be finalised on Thursday 29th January with home favourite Green Dragon battling to beat storm and arrive on Saturday 31st January. Available video includes shots from PUMA and Green Dragon teams.
Ericsson 4 Racing Team General Views
Green Dragon sail in strong winds and tides and hope for grandstand finish in front of home support
PUMA battle with Ericsson 4 and trying to avoid fishing nets
January 27. Video's:
Delta Lloyd: General views of the team sailing in stormy conditions
Ericsson 3: General views and soundbites of the team sailing in stormy conditions
January 18. Pressure is on as Ericsson 4 and Puma, lead at start of Leg Four to Qingdao, China.
The Volvo Ocean Race returned to the race track today in Singapore when the gun fired signifying the start of the 2,500 nautical mile leg to Qingdao in China, the leg most crews consider will be one of the most difficult and brutal legs of the race. Never in this history of the race has there been a leg like this, where the fleet will be sailing upwind for such an extensive distance. The difference between racing and surviving is taken very seriously and all skippers are predicting the need to ease back when conditions worsen.
After the blessing of the fleet, the start got underway in ideal conditions of 10 - 15 knots. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) and PUMA (Kenny Read/USA) immediately commenced battle and both had their bows ahead of the rest, opting for the middle of the line, while Delta Lloyd, with new navigator Frits Koek/NED in the navigator's chair, chose the pin end. Both Telefónica boats and Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) were in the second row as the gun fired at 1300 local time (0500 GMT) and the fleet pounded up the first two-mile beat.
At windward mark, Ericsson 4 led, with some smart sail handling, with PUMA right on her heels. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE) performed an outstanding spinnaker hoist and took third place, while Green Dragon struggled with their huge gennaker in fourth position.
The match racing continued between the two leaders, as they approached the next mark, Ericsson 4 proving to be the class of the fleet. PUMA was just a couple of boat lengths behind; Green Dragon rolled Ericsson 3 and was followed by the two Telefónica boats and Delta Lloyd.
The committee boat formed the last rounding mark before the fleet sheeted in and headed upwind to China. Ericsson 4 was the clear leader, followed by PUMA. A gap opened up to Green Dragon with Ericsson 3 right on her tail. Telefónica Blue was fifth, a disappointing position for Bouwe Bekking and his men, and Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP), taking a penalty of three points for swapping to new rudders, were sixth. Delta Lloyd brought up the rear.
It will be an interesting first 10 hours of this leg as the positions begin to establish - fleet positions will be available every three hours throughout the leg.
December 27. It's a shame to see Team Russia's effort fail after just three legs - with their radical boat, underdog status, and a great public presence, they became somewhat a favorite. Their team haven't entirely thrown in the towel - they are still looking to find the money to restart the race, and they estimate the costs of competing to be somewhere around Euro 500,000 for the Singapore stopover and Leg 4 - certainly achievable for a wealthy individual, and that it could be that funding the team, maybe buy you a spot on the boat if you were up to it!
e-mail: Michael Woods if you want to sponsor the Team.
December 23. Video: Leg 3's highlights to date
Team Russia today announced it has suspended racing upon arrival in Singapore at the end of Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race due to insufficient funds to continue the campaign.
Cessation of racing also means that Team Russia is unable to continue its partnership with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS). The team was proud to "Sail For The Whale", during the first three legs of the Volvo Ocean Race and was instrumental in spreading the call for safe habitats for whales and dolphins around the globe. WDCS is very proud to have been a part of this race and will continue to work for the creation of 12 large marine protection areas by the year 2012 and will find new ways to work with the international sailing community as well as the general public to achieve this goal.
The team has been actively approaching sponsors in recent months to secure enough financial support to continue the Volvo Ocean Race onto Qingdao (China) and beyond. However no sponsorship has been forthcoming and the team has no alternative but to suspend racing until further financial support can be secured.
"From the outset, it was always a goal to bring commercial partners into the project," explains Oleg Zherebtsov, the Team principal. "Until now, I have financed the team with my own money, in advance of anticipated sponsorship funding. By this stage in the Volvo campaign we had intended to find sponsorship, but this process has been impacted by the global economic situation."
December 22. Video: Telefónica Blue finishing
Fighting for every inch, Telefónica Blue, skippered by Dutchman Bouwe Bekking, crossed the finish line at the end of leg three of the Volvo Ocean Race to score an emphatic victory in Singapore today at 1451 GMT (2251 local time).
It was among the closest finishes in the race history, with the top four boats finishing within 20 minutes following nearly 10 days of racing.
The Spanish team takes a valuable eight points towards their overall score, which now stands at 30.5 points, putting them into second place overall (subject to protest).
The 1950 nautical mile leg, which started from Cochin, India, on December 13, has been a leg of mental and physical torture for the crew, which took nine days, four hours, 51 minutes and 22 seconds to complete (09:04:41:22)
PUMA, led by Kenny Read/USA claimed second, 17 minutes behind the Spanish team, (finish time 1508 GMT) adding seven points to her tally, giving her a total of 27.5 points and third place overall. (Elapsed time: 09:05:08:01)
The final podium spot went to Ericsson 3 (Anders Lewander/SWE), who beat their teammates on Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) to take third, and a total of 23.5 points overall. (Finish time 1509 GMT, elapsed time 09:05:09:48s)
Ericsson 4 was relegated to fourth place, adding five points to the four they earned for passing through the scoring gate a Palau We in first place. They still lead the race overall, but the margin has narrowed to just 4.5 points over Telefónica Blue. (Finish time 15:10:28 GMT elapsed time 09:05:10m28s).
After crossing the finish, Bouwe Bekking and his crew were ecstatic. Speaking from Telefónica Blue as they motored to Race Village at Sentosa Island and the waiting crowds and families, Bekking said:
"It is a very sweet victory. Very special - just before Christmas - a nice little gift for us and very nice because all the families are here. It will be good to see all the happy faces when we get in. It was incredible for us. We were in the lead, then we lost it and then took it back again. In the final six or seven miles, the breeze died completely and the other guys got very close, then we got a little puff of breeze and I managed to bring her home. I have never seen the guys so happy. I have known them for quite a while and normally they are very cool, but they were just ecstatic when they went through the finish. It is a huge thing for us.
"I told the guys to take it easy as especially in this part of the race, the seas can change in half an hour, and then we sailed a really good race from that point on. We had a couple of really good shifts and, tactically, it went our way and the guys sailed very fast in light airs, which is was why we won. It shows that Ericsson 4 is not invincible and it is really good overall for the race itself."
Ken Read on finishing second said:
"I have never done anything like this before. Not really sure I want to do it again. Unbelievable. Hats off to the Telefónica guys, they did a nice job, congratulations. Nobody can remember the last time they either slept or ate. It has really been all hands on."
Anders Lewander, skipper of Ericsson 3, the Nordic team, said: "It's been so enormously tough - all of this leg - but it's been really amazing. I've really enjoyed it because of the close tactics and the mix of conditions. It's hard work but the close encounters and the whole situation on this leg has been really challenging.
I must admit that on several occasions during this leg, I truly believed we were able to win. I'm really proud and happy about our achievement - this short gybing and close encounters is really good racing.
"The Malacca Strait was challenging with night sailing up the shoreline - then the line-up with the four of us in very variable, light wind conditions. It was a bit of a lottery situation. But it was important to keep in mind the big picture and not necessarily look just at the short term."
Leg Three Finishing Order Singapore
1. Telefónica Blue: 8 points (FINISHED)
2. PUMA: 7 points (FINISHED)
3. Ericsson 3: 6 points (FINISHED)
4. Ericsson 4: 5 points (FINISHED)
5. Telefónica Black: 4 points (FINISHED)
6. Green Dragon: 3 points (FINISHED)
7. Kosatka Team Russia 2 points (FINISHED)
8. Delta Lloyd: 1 point (FINISHED)
Overall Leaderboard (Subject to Protest)
1. Ericsson 4: 35.0 points (FINISHED)
2. Telefónica Blue: 30.5 points (FINISHED)
3. PUMA: 27.5 points (FINISHED)
4. Ericsson 3: 23.5 points (FINISHED)
5. Green Dragon: 20.5 points (FINISHED)
6. Telefónica Black: 19.5 points (FINISHED)
7. Team Russia: 10.5 points (FINISHED)
8. Delta Lloyd: 9.0 points (FINISHED)
Scoring Gate Order
1. Ericsson 4 (4.0 points)
2. Telefónica Blue (3.4 points)
3. Ericsson 3 (3.0 points)
4. PUMA (2.5 points)
5. Telefónica Black (2.0 points)
6. Green Dragon (1.5 points)
7. Kosatka Team Russia (1.0 point)
8. Delta Lloyd (0.5 point)
Volvo Web Page with fleet standings
December 13. Cochin in India, bid farewell to the Volvo Ocean Race fleet today at 1530 local time (1000 GMT) after the eight teams spent a sensational past two weeks in India, the first time the race has visited this area. In a light sea breeze of around five to six knots, Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) led the fleet across the line in a downwind start as the crews unfurled their big gennakers. Leg three is the shortest so far in the race - at 1,950 nautical miles - and takes the fleet around the southern tip of India and west into the Straits of Malacca, which ranks amongst the busiest shipping channels in the world. As much of the route straddles the equator, light, changeable conditions are expected for much of the leg. It is expected to take just over a week - with crews, friends and families anticipating an arrival in time for Christmas.
Over the last week Team Russia has prepared the boat and themselves to tackle what is expected to be a light, fluky, upwind leg, with plenty of potential pitfalls/opportunities along the way. Navigator Wouter Verbraak has spent the last week at home studying maps and looking at weather patterns; "It's going to be a tricky leg that's for sure," he warns. "You have three parts, first along the Indian coast where we will be fighting with light winds and sea breezes then we get the big stretch across to Sumatra where we expect more southern winds, so it is upwind and more a boat speed race and then we get the third part, through the Straits of Malacca where anything can happen; I see a lot of opportunity there."
Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) made a move well out to the right along with PUMA (Ken Read/USA), and Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA), while Green Dragon remained closer to the coast and watched the others surge ahead. As this leading bunch started to curl in towards the shore, making the most of the northwesterly sea breeze, which will fade in the next two hours as daylight fails, it was PUMA who led the leading pack.
This 1950 nautical mile leg to Sentosa Island, Singapore is expected to take the fleet around eight days to complete, but first the fleet has to negotiate the southern tip of both India and Sri Lanka. Conditions are expected to be light and fluky for the entire trip and very tricky for the navigators, not only in interpreting the weather, but also in dealing with very congested shipping lanes and lots of fishing fleets. It will be mentally taxing, with the heat and humidity an added endurance factor.
Volvo Web Page with fleet standings
November 30. Torben Grael from Brasil and his international crew onboard Ericsson 4 made it two wins in a row when they crossed the finish of leg two of the Volvo Ocean Race in Cochin, India at 0422 Cochin time - 2252 GMT (Cochin is five and a half hours ahead of GMT). The 4,450 nm leg, which started from Cape Town, South Africa on 15 November took Grael and his men 14 days, 11 hours, 32 minutes and 30 seconds (elapsed time 14:11:32:30). Adding the four points the team collected for passing through the leg two scoring gate (the line of longitude 58 degrees east which the fleet had to pass from east to west anywhere south of the latitude 20 degrees south), to the eight points for a leg win, boosts the team's overall score to 26 points.
November 29. COCHIN, India - Ericsson 4 went into Stealth mode this morning, opting to hide itself from the fleet as it crawled towards the Leg 2 finish of the Volvo Ocean Race in Cochin, India. Torben Grael and the International crew were back on the leaderboard at 1603 GMT this afternoon, approximately 36 nautical miles from the finish. They were expected to finish between 0000 and 0200 local time.
Second-placed Telefónica Blue, however, was in Stealth mode and its position unknown. Earlier today, Telefónica Blue was an estimated 60 nautical miles behind Grael and crew.
Ericsson 4 has led the fleet since Wednesday when it scampered through the Indian Ocean Doldrums and then benefited from stronger than predicted winds across the Equator. The crew, however, has watched its once comfortable advantage over the fleet dwindle. "This time last night I couldn't type as the boat was bouncing around, sitting on 26 knots in 30 knots of wind and I was watching us take 40nm per three-hour sked out of boats," Ericsson 4 navigator Jules Salter said earlier today. "Tonight we are doing 3 knots and losing 40nm a sked. The tension is mounting amongst the crew that all our hard work on the leg will end with us being overtaken at the finishing post. So there are some hard night hours ahead trimming the sails and the boat." Salter listed Ericsson 4's position within a couple of miles of the India coastline.
"We are currently approaching Kochi in very light winds, two miles offshore of the sub-continent trying to find some night breeze to get us to the finish line," Salter said. "The air smells damp, earthy and of woodsmoke, which is generally a good sign that we may get a few zephyrs to move us on our way. "The day has been frustrating and we have been slowed by clouds, rain and a peak of 5.6 knots of wind speed. This leg has ended like the lamb rather than the first week of lion-like conditions," said Salter.
With Telefónica Blue in Stealth, Anders Lewander's Ericsson 3 at 1603 GMT was listed as holding second place, 242 miles from the finsh.
Volvo Web Page with fleet standings
November 28. Friday's Video from Ericsson GV Ericsson sailing Phil Jameson sailing with safety helmet on Close up of Phil Jameson with safety helmet on Ericsson sailing shots IV Brad Jackson (English) onboard IV Tony Mutter (English) onboard Torben Grael and Jules Salter by navigation screen (English commentary) Torben Grael looking at map.
Ericsson 4 remains firmly on course to extend its lead in the Volvo Ocean Race as the second leg from Cape Town to Cochin draws to a close. The Swedish boat has dominated the rest of the fleet since it left South Africa on November 15, and after coming through a traumatic time in the Southern Ocean during which several yachts were badly damaged, is expected to arrive in India way ahead of its rivals on Sunday November 29.
November 26: Wednesday's Video Regrettably Volvo now start their Video's with an 'ad', but you can ignore the 15 second 'ad' and needn't get sucked into some sales pitch.
Volvo Web Page with fleet standings
November 23 Sunday's Video Regrettably Volvo appear to have started their Video's with an 'ad'
November 21 Puma and Green Dragon have suffered significant damage by an unforgiving Southern Ocean in the early stages of Leg Two of the Volvo Ocean Race. Meanwhile, the threat of piracy still looms large for the eight boat fleet on the 4,450-mile stretch from Cape Town, South Africa, to Kochi, India.
November 20 Fourth and Foot To The Floor, Team Russia, skippered by Andreas Hanakamp, crossed the scoring gate at longitudinal 58 degrees east on the second leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 in fourth position this morning at 09.36 GMT to pick up 2.5 points.
Crashing though huge waves and taking everything the roaring fourties had to throw at them, Andreas and his men, battled on overcoming a massive broach and unbearable conditions to race ahead to a fanatastic fourth place at the scoring gate. Now across, Kosatka will point her bow north for the 3,000-mile home stretch to Cochin.
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